The Abyss
by Cerabellum's Matrix
Summary: Little Bethany Niles has permanently freed herself from her family's torment, and is now on the run because of the particular method she used for her liberation. Alone, confused, and afraid, Bethany soon runs into none other than Jonathan Crane. Will the good doctor help this lost child, or will he only send her further into the dark abyss that is insanity? Read and Review, please.
1. Bethany Is Free, For A Moment

Bethany Niles shuffled down the cracked pavement, occasionally tripping and tumbling clumsily to the ground. She didn't care, and really didn't feel it. Her mind was too occupied on other things for her to register something such as pain, or fear. She would just stand back up and continue on, not really knowing where she was going, exactly.

Again, she didn't care...

Why would she? She was a twelve-year-old walking aimlessly through Gotham's dangerous streets in the middle of the night...

What's the worst that could happen?

Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't be out here. She would be back at her home, lying in her less-than-comfortable bed, and listening to her mother and step-father argue over trivial matters while her older brother laughed softly in his twisted dreams of torment and anguish.

Of course, under normal circumstances, the members of her family wouldn't currently be lying in their beds with their throats cut and their entrails missing from their abdominal cavities.

Beth remembered the disturbing gargle that her mother sounded when she was stabbed in the gut by her own daughter. Bethany remembered the look of shock and fear in her mother's wide, blue eyes.

"Beth..any..." she said, and that was all she managed before her eyes glassed over and she stared through her daughter into the darkness of cold death.

Bethany looked down at her shaking, blood-stained hands. "Not my fault. Not my fault..." she muttered, as she went over killing her step-father in her mind. He was a special case. He was the reason, after all, for all of this. It was _his _fault they were all dead. His fault that she finally saw her family for who they were.

"Monsters."

She said the word slowly, bitterly, and spat at the ground, wanting to remove the taste of it from her mouth. She turned a corner, and kept walking.

Monsters. That was all she could describe her family as, anymore. Her brother was a class-A nutcase that enjoyed harming animals for the hell of it. He picked on his sister to no end, and was the reason for the long scar on her right thigh. Her mother only cared about her image and social standing, as well as her dearest husband who took so much care of her. For him, Beth's mother would overlook his aggression and ignore the constant beatings he gave Beth. She did nothing when bad came to worst, and merely looked away when the worst became utter hell for her little girl.

Beth's step-father. An abuser of alcohol, and lover of aggression. He was what shaped Beth's brother into the disgusting delinquent he was. Her step-father beat her whenever he saw fit, drunk or not. She was his punching bag, the reason why she lost her baby teeth before they were even loose, the reason why she shakes whenever anybody touches her. He created Beth's fear of the dark, as he frequently locked her in the cellar where her only companions were the starving rats that nipped her toes.

Yes, he was the reason why she finally saw her family as it really was.

Uncaring.

Tormenting.

Monsters.

And tonight, Bethany's step-father was the reason why she no longer had her virginity.

After that terrifying drunken incident, she finally fell off the edge. He had taken everything from her. Her family, and her own self. Her screams for help during the entire ordeal were replied with her brother's laughter and her mother's silence.

She was done with them.

Done being used.

Done being bullied and beaten.

They took her childhood and twisted it into a sick horror movie that people wouldn't want to admit seeing after watching it.

As vengeance, she gave her tale the perfect ending, and lowered the bloodied curtains with barbed-wire ropes.

Now all she did was walk, replaying every detail of her actions in her head, not paying any attention to what was around her. She smiled as she imagined how the police would react when they found the entrails in the tub, and when they saw her step-fathers severed penis shoved into his own mouth. A giggle burbled from her lips, and she stopped walking.

"What will they do when they find me..." she asked herself quietly. Her brow furrowed. What would they do? Juvenile hall? Prison? Arkham? Would they kill her? Would she die for her sins? She frowned. She didn't want to die.

Clarity began to fill her mind and she suddenly felt her heart beat hard against her chest. Bethany looked around and tried to figure out where she was. It was too dark.

"Too dark..." fear wriggled its way into her conscious. It was dark. Instinctively, she looked down to try and see if there were any rats crawling near her.

No.

There weren't.

Just pavement.

Even so, it didn't stop fear from gripping her very soul. Shadows seemed to move wherever she looked, and tears welled in her eyes. She wanted to find a bright place.

Light.

There was none. Just darkness in this long street that she couldn't recognize.

"Ma...Mama..." she whispered, then stopped herself. Her mother wasn't there anymore.

And it was her fault. The tears spilled over her freckled cheeks and made strands of her short black hair cling to her face.

What had she done? Why did she do that? She gripped her hair in her shaking hands and gasped for air. All traces of sureness were gone from her mind and she regretted everything she did.

"Why, why, why, why..." she mumbled to herself as she backed into a corner and sat roughly down onto the concrete. What had possessed her to do such an unthinkable act? She wrapped her arms around herself and rocked back and forth.

If they were monsters, then what was she? What was worse than monster...

"I don't knooow..." she sobbed, and rested her forehead on her knees. She resolved to stay in that spot, where someone would find her in the morning, maybe. They would see the blood on her clothes and skin, and they would call the G.C.P.D. She would be taken in, and she would pay for her sins.

Her hand reached into her shirt and retrieved the small cross that was kept round her neck by a thin chain. She gripped it, then began to pray. Before her step-father, she wasn't much into religion. But after he arrived, she had to believe in something. She had to put faith in something that was known as merciful, and loving. She needed something to giver her the smallest shred of hope.

The concept of God was something of a security blanket to her, instead of an absolute being to revere. He was just some unsure thing for her to to grasp onto when there was nothing else to go for.

A last resort.

"Dear father, born in Heaven-"

"Oi! Wassat over 'dere?"

Bethany looked up quickly to find three large men walking towards her. Her voice caught in her throat when she tried to speak.

"Looks like one-a dem homeless kids..." said another. She gulped. Technically, they weren't wrong...

"Hey, gurly..." said the last of the three. He smiled, showing his yellowed teeth.

"What should we do with 'er?" One of them asked. The other two shrugged.

"Shouldn't be this far in the Narrows during this time of night, kiddie...you're in Crime Alley, do ya know that?" said the smiling one. Beth shook her head. He smiled wider as a response, and removed something from his jacket pocket. He pressed something, and a thin blade popped out, reflecting the moonlight from its sharp edge. One of the men huffed.

"What're you doing, you idjit?" he asked.

"Just taking the kid's money, is all; I could use a drink..."

"She don't look like she got money on her-"

"Are you arguing with me?"

"...No..."

"Good. Hey, kid, come outta the dark so we can see ya better. And pull any money ya got outta yer pockets, got me?"

Bethany kept still. Her eyes glued to the blade. The one holding it sighed.

"Get your ass outta there or I'm gonna gut you. I've done it before and I don't mind doing it again..." he said. Bethany almost laughed. She'd done that before, as well.

"Hey, you ain't never done that before, Jerry-"

"Shut up! I'm trying to intimidate this damn kid!"

"Sorry, sorry."

"Listen kid! Get yer little ass out here,_ now!_"

Bethany still didn't move. She was too afraid of going near them. As a result, the one with the knife reached over and grabbed her hair, then dragged her away from the wall. She screamed when the knife nicked her arm.

Just down the street a thin figure exited an abandoned home, looking for where the scream came from. He saw a child being tormented by a couple of thugs. Something like this was normal in this part of Gotham, and the figure almost returned to his shelter when he heard one of the men shriek something odd.

"This kid got blood on her, Jerry!"

"Holy shit! What the _fuck_ have _you_ been up to?"

"Let me go! _Let me go_!" the girl shouted. She was terrified.

A small tremor ran up the figure's spine, and he swallowed.

_Fear..._

"Hold her still so I can check her pockets!"

"Ow, _shit_! She bit me!"

The figure watched as one of them punched the girl in the stomach. She coughed, but kept struggling.

"She's a fighter..." the figure said. He knew that if she persisted with her squirming they would use that weapon on her, and leave her bleeding in the street. He looked up into the sky, expecting something, but it never came...

He sighed, and adjusted his glasses. "I suppose _I'll _just save the day, then, since he seems to be busy..." he said, and went back inside to grab something.

Bethany fell to the ground, panting and crying. The men around her were panting as well. She fought hard.

The one called Jerry reached down and flipped her over. He pressed his blade to her throat.

"Little fucking bitch. I ask for one thing and you cause all this shit-"

Before he could finish, Beth kneed him hard in the crotch. He gasped, and fell over. The blade sliced her skin, and blood trickled from the wound. For a moment, she thought he had cut her throat, but when she continued to breath, she figured she was very lucky.

"_Ffffuuuuck_!" Jerry shouted into the ground, and slammed his fists down angrily. Bethany tried to sit up, but she was completely drained of energy. All she could do was lay there, helpless.

Jerry shakily sat up again, the knife still in his hand. "You're gonna pay real bad for that, kid..." he rasped. He reached over and sliced her wrist. Blood gushed from the wound and Beth gasped. The other men were pulling Jerry away from her.

"Man, calm down! It's a fucking kid-"

"Who gives a shit! From the looks of her she's already fucked up anyway!"

"Now, I hardly see that as proper discipline..." a new voice said. Beth looked to her right to see a tall person walking toward them. She could only see his thin frame in the darkness. They took a drag from a cigarette, and the end lit up bright red, reflecting off of what she saw to be rectangular glasses. The person blew out the smoke with a sigh.

"Who the fuck are you?" Jerry asked. The figure only walked in front of Beth and blocked her from Jerry.

"Just someone who would like to sleep tonight, rather than listen to a bunch of men shouting over a damned child..."

"Listen, queer! This got nothing to do with you, so beat it!" one of the men behind Jerry said. The figure only smirked.

"Oh, my. It seems we have a badass, here. I'm trembling in my skin..." he said with refined sarcasm. Jerry growled.

"This ain't your business-"

"It isn't yours, either. I'm sure this child was minding her own business when you idiots showed up and ruined her evening. Am I correct?" the figure asked, and took another drag from his cigarette. Beth watched him drop the dog-end to the ground and crush it with his shoe. Her head was becoming light, and she could barely keep awake.

"Please..." she muttered. The figure turned and looked at her.

"Ah, yes, it seems you're in more trouble than I thought previously. I'll make this quick, then..." he said, and turned back to the thugs. "Now, I want you all to go home to your mothers and reflect on what has happened tonight, then maybe perhaps seek psychological help in the very near future..." he said. Beth frowned; if he was trying to goad of them, he wasn't doing it well...

"You making fun of my old lady?" Jerry shouted. Beth snorted. Apparently she was wrong... The figure smirked at her amusement. At least she was intelligent.

Jerry lunged at him and he simply moved to the left as Jerry rushed past him and almost toppled over Bethany. The figure then grabbed Jerry's hand and twisted it with a pop. Jerry screamed, and he was thrown back to the other men, his hand angled oddly. The other two went for the figure, who had stepped away from the girl so she wasn't trampled. For a moment all he did was dodge, wasting what was left of the other two's energy. When they began to slow, he kicked one right in the face and watched as he knocked into his comrade.

"So _slow, _gentlemen...compared to the other people I fight, you're nothing but unorganized worms..." the figure tsked, and pulled something from his jacket pocket. Beth couldn't see the object as the person tossed it at the group. It shattered, and Beth heard the men begin to scream.

She panicked. Why were they screaming? She tried to lift her head, but gave up. All she could do was make noise. "What..." she said. The figure walked back to her and looked down at her weak body. He picked her up bridal style, not caring about the blood that leaked onto his clothes.

"I'm sorry, my dear? I didn't catch that." he said politely, like there was nothing wrong going on at that moment. Beth cleared her throat.

"Who..are you?" she asked. Those last words completely used her energy, and she slowly began to fade into unconsciousness. The figure raised his brow at her, attempting to find an appropriate answer.

"Well," he said. "Currently, I'm your savior, in a sense. Normally, I would be your worst nightmare..." he said simply, not quite satisfied with his answer. Beth wanted to ask what he meant, but it was too late. She was already fast asleep.


	2. Bethany Meets The Doctor

When she woke up, Bethany's head screamed at her in pain and she wished someone would shoot her dead right there. She kept her eyes closed and touched her hand to her forehead.

"Mama...water..." she said, her voice hoarse. Nobody answered. Beth was suddenly very aware that her bed was considerably more comfortable than usual. She opened her eyes, and looked down.

She almost screamed. Blood covered her clothing, and the actions of last night flooded her mind. She became dizzy, and she closed her eyes again. "Oh, God above me..." she muttered. Where was she? She remembered the person that helped her last night, and wondered if they were waiting for the cops to come and get her.

She opened her eyes again, and looked around. She frowned. For a home, it was pretty dingy. Wallpaper was falling away in various areas on the wall, and the room smelled damp. She looked at the window. It was cracked, and covered by loosely hanging boards.

"Weird..." she muttered, and looked at the wrist she remembered being slit the night before. It was bandaged. She felt her neck. That was bandaged, to. Beth felt her stomach, and winced at how sore it felt to the touch. She looked to a small table set by the bed and found empty blood packs resting there.

"_What._.."

"Ah, you're awake. Good. Change into these clothes." said a man's voice. Bethany blinked and looked to the door that lead to the small bedroom. A tall, thin man walked in, carrying a changed of clothes in his arm. Beth took in his features. His eyes were dark brown, and looked through rectangular glasses that slid down his nose. Strands of his wirey red hair, long enough to tuck behind his ears, hung over his face. He looked young, mid-twenties, maybe. As he walked to her bed, Beth noticed a very dignified air to his steps, like everything he did was important in some way. He dropped the clothes on the bed and began to leave.

"Wait, where are you going!" Beth asked quickly. He turned and looked at her in mild surprise.

"I'm assuming you would prefer privacy while you change, miss Niles." he said. Beth felt a rock drop in her stomach.

"How do you know my name..." she asked in suspicion. The man adjusted his glasses.

"Simply because your name is all over the newspapers and television. It's getting a bit tiring, to be quite honest." he said. She began to panic.

"Papers? News?"

"Yes, apparently your being searched for. Your family was horribly murdered and they fear you may have been kidnapped by the killers." he said. Beth blinked. She couldn't believe it. They didn't know it was her. "But," the man continued. "We both know that is not what happened..." he said, looking to her bloody clothes. She gulped. So he knew it was her...

What would he do?

"Yeah..." she said dumbly. He sighed and turned to leave again.

"Get dressed. We can talk about this when you come downstairs." he said, and closed the door behind him. Beth reached over and picked up the change of clothes; a white, long sleaved button-up shirt and black pants. Each item was much too large for a child her size to walk around in.

"Must be his..." she said, and began to change, tossing the bloodied clothes into a small pile in the corner of the room. The act was difficult, since gravity felt like being a little bitch and kept trying to mercilessly knock Beth to the floor. She fought it though, and kept her balance, no matter how dizzy she was. She rolled the pant legs up six times, and even then they were still pretty big on her. As for the shirt, she just pulled the sleeves up above her wrists and let them bunch up at the elbow. She wished she had a mirror to see how much of a bum she looked like. Finding none, she shrugged and went to the door.

When her hand reached the doorknob, she stopped. What was she doing. God knew what was waiting for her downstairs. Police. Men in white coats. More men like the ones from last night.

And who was this guy? Why was he helping her if he knew what she did...

"And why the hell is he living in a dump like this?" she asked aloud. Nothing answered, and she was sadly getting used to that. Taking one deep breath, she opened the door and exited the bedroom. The hall was just as rundown as the bedroom, and Beth even saw some carpet missing from the floor. "This guy needs to move, big time..." she said, trying to add the smallest bit of humor to her dismal situation. When she reached the bottom of the hardwood stairs, which was a terrifying thing to do in her condition, Beth walked around, searching for anyone from the police department. When she reached the kitchen, all she found was the man, sitting and reading the day's paper. On the front it read in bold that Bruce Wayne had donated a large sum of money to a charity organization.

"I finally found a damned paper where your story isn't that important." The man said from behind it, then lowered it to see her. A cigarette hung from his mouth, freshly lit. He looked at the clothes she wore, and cracked a smile. "I apologize for the lack of proper clothing, but I wasn't exactly expecting company." he said, and folded the paper then placed it on the table. Beth walked in and over to an empty chair. She sat down quietly, and stared at him. He was acting completely normal, and she didn't like it.

"Who are you..." she asked. He cocked his head to the side, then rested his cheek on his hand.

"How long have you lived in Gotham?" he replied. Beth huffed.

"Whole life, mister-"

"Doctor." he said.

"What?"

"It's Doctor, not mister." he said. Beth felt her cheeks become warm.

"Well, if you would have answered my question, then I wouldn't have made that mistake." she said.

"So, we are both at fault here."

"No, just you."

"Interesting."

"More like weird..."

"Yes, there is much more out of the ordinary than usual today." he said. Beth waited a moment before speaking again.

"So, who are you?" she asked. "And when are the police going to arrive?" the man took a drag from his cigarette.

"Well, hopefully the police aren't on their way, which would mean my stay in this comfortable little spot would be rudely cut short. As for my name, it's Dr. Jonathan Crane. You may call me Dr. Crane, Doctor, or Jonathan. Just never refer to me as _mister_, since it is horribly demeaning to someone in my position. Understood?" he said.

Beth gawked.

Jonathan Crane.

Scarecrow.

Crazy that runs around in a costume and gets chased by a masked vigilante for a living.

Beth stood as she felt her head go numb.

"I think I should leave. Thank you for your hospitality." she said, and walked towards the exit. She stopped in the kitchen doorway.

Where was the exit...

"The door is in the living room, which is to your left." Jonathan said. He had returned to reading his paper. "Leave if you wish, just know that people are looking for you, and they'll figure out sometime today that is was you that killed your family. I offer a type of sanctuary, but if you would like to leave, by all means..." he said. Beth looked back at him.

"Why are you helping me?" she asked. "You're crazy. You dress like a scarecrow, and you like to mess with people's heads." she said.

"True, mostly. But I like to experiment on people's fears. If I only wanted to 'mess with people's heads', then I would have become a psychiatrist at Arkham. Oh-wait. I _did_ become a psychiatrist at Arkham... You see?" he asked. Beth shook her head. All she 'saw' was that she was in a house with a nutcase, and she wanted to leave...

But could she? She didn't want to be picked up by the police, much less be locked away for life. She considered her options.

Either go to jail, or chat with the crazy doctor.

Neither were that great, but one kept her from sitting behind iron bars, so she sadly shuffled back to the chair in the kitchen and sat down. Jonathan chuckled when she set her head down on the table.

"It's not so bad, once you get used to it." he said. Beth ignored him and began once again to think of her deceased family. Why had she done that? She couldn't remember, her memory was fuzzy. After a moment of intense thought, she froze, then touched her lap. Tears clouded her vision again, and she sat up, shaking her head. She blinked the tears back, some of them escaping down her cheek, and took a deep breath.

"Would you like to speak with me about whatever is ailing you? I may not be a psychiatrist anymore, but I am still a psychologist with my PhD. All that's missing is the pen and pad of lined paper, and I'm set." Jonathan said. Beth gave him a dirty look.

"This isn't a stupid game of doctor..." she said.

"I never said that, miss Niles. I just have nothing else to do, for the time being, and I'm nearly finished with this paper. If you would like to talk, just inform me." he said. Jonathan turned the page to the obituaries and began to read.

"Big brother always picked on me..." Beth suddenly said. Jonathan smirked and set the paper down.

"A big brother picking on his little sister. Now that hardly seems a good reason to kill people the way you did. Would you care to elaborate?" he asked. Beth kept her eyes on the table as she answered.

"He would throw rocks at me." she said.

"How large were these rocks?"

"Pretty big. Left welts on my arms and legs."

"Anything else your brother did?"

"He cut me on my leg with a big knife. He was playing with it, and chasing me around. I fell, and he made stabbing motions at me. He tripped, and cut my leg on the thigh. He never said sorry. Instead, he laughed." she said. "He also took my pet cat and buried him in the back yard from the neck down..." she said, then faltered.

"Did you get the cat out?" Jonathan asked. Beth shook her head.

"I tried to, but he got to her first.." she said. Jonathan nodded at this, sensing something awful.

"What did he do, your brother?"

"Ran Whisker's head over with a lawnmower." she replied simply, bitterness in her voice. Jonathan coughed, and took off his glasses. He pinched the brim of his nose.

"I must say I wasn't expecting that." he said. Beth nodded.

"That's not even bad, considering what he did as he got older."

"Would you like to tell me about it?" Jonathan asked. She shook her head 'no'. "Alright then, I certainly see why you've lost any emotional attachment to your brother. What about your mother?"

"She didn't do anything..."

"So why is it you killed her?"

"Because she _didn't do anything..._" she said, and looked up at Jonathan, who leaned back in his seat.

"Didn't do anything when what happened, exactly?" he asked.

"And now we reach my step-father..." Beth said, and crossed her arms. "He beat me a lot."

"For what? Were you being irrational?"

"I never did anything bad, if that's what you're asking. I could just be sitting there, and he'd come up and hit me right in the face. Mom didn't care, so long as he gave her what she wanted every night-"

"Isn't that a bit much?"

"Isn't that a stupid question to ask, Doctor, considering my particular situation?"

"Understood. Why didn't you call child services?"

"What's that?"

"Now I know why. Never mind. Did you try telling neighbors?"

"Wasn't ever really allowed out of the house. They kept me home. I didn't know any of the neighbors, and I couldn't get out of the house."

"What about your school teachers?"

"Home-schooled, and I didn't learn much at all."

"How little did you learn?"

"I can't read."

"Oh, my..."

"I can read simple words. But not much..."

"Alright, so you've gone through your entire life without any social connection to the outside world, and you were constantly bullied and beaten and uncared for. Am I correct?"

Beth nodded. "Yeah..."

"I'm sorry, my dear, but someone so young as you still shouldn't have gone through the mental stress that is required for someone to go over the edge like you did. I went through similar ordeals, and was a senior in highschool before I killed anyone, and even then it wasn't so gruesome as your own peculiar methods...Is there something you are failing to inform me about?" he asked, and placed his glasses back on his face. Beth looked to her lap, not wanting to say anything at all.

"I..." she stopped herself. How dare her mouth betray her like that? "I..."

"I assure you, child, your words won't be repeated by me to anyone. Also, I've seen enough gore in my life to not be affected much by anything that is considered horrible to other-"

"My step-father raped me.." she suddenly said. Jonathan shut up quickly. His brown eyes were wide for the smallest moment before he returned to his business-like manner.

"I see. When did this happen?" he asked. His voice was calm, quiet.

"Last night." she said.

"Was that the metaphorical trigger that set off your darker image?" he asked. Beth nodded. She was rubbing her arms now, feeling insecure, agitated that someone else knew that she was now, as her step-father so eloquently put it, 'damaged goods.'

"How soon after...that...happened, did you go through with the murders?"

"A few hours."

"Did they attempt to defend themselves?"

"They were all asleep, sir..."

"Asleep..."

"Yes, shows how much they cared, really."

"Meaning not at all."

"Not. At. All..."

"Now I'm seeing your reason's for murder, miss Niles-"

"Please don't call me that."

"Alright then. What is it you want me to refer to you as?"

"Bethany or Beth, if you could. Niles is my step-father's last name."

"What happened to your real father, may I ask."

"Died from gunfire. He was in the G.C.P.D."

"I apologize for that."

"Don't. I didn't even know him, so I don't really care, anyway. Why should you pretend to?"

"You are an odd individual, Bethany."

"So I've realized."

"Are you...in pain?" he asked after a moment. Beth looked at him in question. She didn't fully understand him. She blushed when it finally clicked.

"No. I was...but it's gone, now, like everything else." she said.

"This won't make you feel any better about this, but just know that from what you described to me, your family deserved to die harshly. My two cents."

"I thought that then, a lot. But now I don't know. They never tried to kill me..."

"They did worse and destroyed your life so far. You set yourself completely free from them. Be proud of yourself, girl." Jonathan said. Bethany lay her head back down on the table and thought about what he said.

"You're a weird doctor, Dr. Crane." she said.

"One of the reason's why I'm not heading Arkham anymore."

"What was the other reasons?" she asked.

"The pay was terrible and the nurses were ugly." he said. Beth held back her smile.

"You aren't serious at all, are you?"

"Normally, I am. But normally, I have something to do other than entertain a child with a severe case of depression."

"So you're trying to make me happy?"

"I'm going against my usual norm, I know."

"Thank you." Jonathan didn't expect that. Not a bit. A child, thanking the Master of Fear for his services. It was ridiculous.

"For what, may I ask?"

"For at least trying. Nobody ever 'tried' with me...that's all." She said. She looked a little embarrassed about her comment, and gave a small smile. Jonathan couldn't believe himself. He actually though that expression was 'cute'. He thought this whelp was cute.

'I need a drink...' he thought to himself, and cleared his throat. "Yes, well, why don't you go on back to the bedroom. You lost a lot of blood and the blood packs didn't give back all that was lost last night. You need rest anyway." he said. Beth nodded and stood up from the chair. Now that she thought of how much was gone, she felt the world practically lean on her shoulders.

She was tired.

She yawned and rubbed her eyes as she walked to the stairs, her feet never really leaving the floor as she moved. "See you later, Dr. Crane." she said softly, and kept walking. Jonathan was left at the table. He watched his cigarette burn to the end, and he crushed the dog-end in the tray.

"No emotional attachments, Crane." he said to himself. Even so, he felt amused. This child was interesting, of course. "I didn't even ask her about her worst fear yet." he said. He would. All in good time."She just needs to wake up from her slight delusion, first." He liked his subjects alert, and she was far from even being fully conscious. He would wait until she was recovered before his experiment.

And it would be interesting, indeed.

"Dear little Bethany. What boogeymen lurk under your bed?"


	3. Bethany Reads

"What are those?" Beth asked when she came back down. Her headache was gone, and she had removed the bandage on her throat. She was in the living room, looking questioningly at Jonathan, who was sitting at the couch and searching through folders.

"Work. I would appreciate the quiet while I sort through these." he mumbled, and pushed his glasses back up his nose. He seemed agitated, and Beth didn't want to mess with him.

"Alright." Keeping her mouth shut, Bethany decided to roam the small decrepit house and find anything interesting. Being in the same place as the Scarecrow, there had to be something fun to find.

About an hour later, however, she was disappointed at the fact that all she found was more empty rooms. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an attic. She thought she would at least find something in the cramped attic, but all that was found was empty cardboard boxes and mothballs.

"Uuuuugh..." she walked aimlessly and quietly, wishing sorely that she had a bucket of paint to use to decorate the dull walls. After going back to her bedroom, she lay on the floor and staired at the ceiling, something she did when she still lived with her family.

Her family...

Beth shook her head to keep from thinking of them. She turned it to the side, and looked under the bed. A small indention on the floor made her raise her eyebrows. Rolling over on her stomach, she scooted under the bed and felt the object then pulled it over to her.

It was book, and the picureless cover read 'Grimm's Fairy Tales'. She was able to read that much at least. She opened the book and leafed through the thin pages, finding well drawn pictures here and there. She closed the book and walked out of her room and downstairs into the living room, where she sat at a small cushioned chair some feet from where Jonathan sat. She had an idea, and wanted to see if it would work...

She opened the book to it's first story, and began to attempt to read. She was able to get some of it. The 'and's and 'for's and other words like that were simple. But it seemed that once a word hit more than two syllables, she lost her ability quickly. She sighed, and made a pouty face at the pages. She felt Jonathan looking at her.

Good.

Her plan was working.

When she finally heard him drop his folder and give a subtle sigh of aggravation, she knew she had won.

"You are quite brave, trying to play games with me..." Jonathan said. Beth gulped. She should have expected that. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Sorry."

"Yes, well...what is it you are reading?" he asked.

"I'm attempting to read Grimm's Fairy Tales." she said, and showed him the old cover. He frowned.

"Where did you get that?"

"Under the bed. It was hiding." she said.

"How far have you gotten?"

"Once upon a time...that's it." she said.

"Oh, bother..." he took off his glasses and rubbed his face. "Absolutely atrocious..." Beth didn't know what 'atrocious' meant, but she figured it meant something bad, by Jonathan's tone.

"Hey, it's not my fault-"

"I know, I know. It doesn't stop the fact that it is horrible for a tween to have no ability to read..."

"I can read some..." Beth muttered, and looked at her book with a twinge of anger on her pouty face.

"'Some' is not adequate."

"Geez, Doc, I can barely understand your crazy long words!" she said loudly. 'Atrocious', 'adequate', all these words confused her. Jonathan's eyes hooded. She would be a piece of work.

"Fine..." he said, and stood up. He walked over and took the book from her. "This book has many long words that you most likely wouldn't understand even if you could read them. Tomorrow you will be given proper reading material to begin with, alright?" he said. Beth reached up and took the book back.

"Yeah, okay, but I'm keeping this one. I like it."

"You don't even know what it contains."

"It contains fairy tales..." Beth said, and hugged the book to her chest. Jonathan sighed,

"Yes, of course it does. I need to get back to work-"

"Hold on!" Beth yelled. Jonathan stopped, and waited for her to speak. "Can you read to me?" she asked, and made her eyes go Bambi-mode, just to top it all off.

"What?" Jonathan couldn't believe this child's boldness.

"Read to me, doc. I never read a fairy tale." she said. Jonathan cocked an eyebrow at this.

"Does Cinderella ring a small bell in your brain?"

"No."

"Beauty and the Beast?"

"No."

"The Wizard of Oz?"

"No."

"Disney Land?"

"_Noooo_."

Jonathan gawked. A child who didn't know about Disney Land...

Terrible.

"Alright, I suppose you've gone through enough suffering. But only one story." he said, and took the book from her. He walked back to the couch and sat made herself comfortable in the chair and waited for him. He searched the contents for the shortest story he could find. His eyes finally rested on one of suitable length.

"Whatcha gonna read?" Beth asked.

"Little Red Riding Hood." he said. Beth scrunched her face.

"I don't get it." she said. "What's a little red riding hood?"

"It's what the girl is called in this story." he said.

"That's stupid."

"That's how it goes, now hush, or you won't hear the story."

"Alrighty, then."

Jonathan gave her one last look before beginning the story.

"It ATE her?" Beth yelled after a few minutes of his reading.

"Well, yes."

"Gross! Old people probly taste like prunes or something!"

"Quiet, so I may finish."

"Yech, fine."

When Jonathan finally finished the story, Beth's eyes seemed like they would pop out of her skull.

"He killed it?" she asked quietly. He nodded.

"And saved Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother. Yes."

"Well, that's just mean. It was only hungry..." she said. Jonathan was surprised byt this answer.

"Sorry?"

"It was hungry, and granny and Red looked yummy. If my only diet was rabbits and stuff, I would want to change it up, to." she said.

"Interesting logic. Usually a child would just be happy the wolf was gone and that the heroin was rescued."

"No fun if the hero wins every time..." she said, and yawned. Jonathan checked his watch.

"Yes, it's getting late. You need sleep, and I need to leave." he said, and stood.

"Wait. You're leaving?" she asked. She began to panic. She would be left alone in this creepy place?

"Only for the night. I'll be back before morning." he said. "Now go to bed."

"Fine..." Beth took the book from him, and walked up the stairs to her bedroom. She took off the pants and folded them, then placed them on her night stand. The large shirt was now officially a night gown. Once in bed, she turned on the little lamp and opened the book again. She found Little Red Riding Hood in contents, and flipped to the story. Looking at the words, Beth tried to remember what Jonathan had read them out to be earlier. After a few minutes, she finally gave up and rested it on the nightstand. She left the light on and pulled the covers up to her chin.

In minutes she was asleep.

In the nightmare she was being chased by a large, gangly wolf, and it eventually took her into its jaws. She wasn't eaten, though, and the wolf only grabbed her by her red jacket and ran through the woods with her hanging from its mouth. From the side she saw a shadow moving quickly, keeping up with them even though the wolf ran quickly and dodged any obstacles. The wolf was eventually brought to a dead-end, and dropped Beth to the cold ground to face the shadow.

The shadow emerged from the many branches, dressed in all black, and carrying a large axe. The woodsman grinned with large yellow teeth, and charged at the wolf. The wolf fought, but was eventually thrown to the ground in a heap, and the woodsman swiftly ended the creature's life with one blow of the axes sharp blade.

Beth began to cry, and the woodsman turned to her, blood spattered on his shadowed face and yellow teeth. He began to walk toward her, raising his axe over his large shoulders...

Beth woke up.

Her heart was racing, and sweat covered her brow. The light from her lamp was out, and she hurriedly turned it back on. Jonathan must have turned it off while she was sleeping.

Jonathan.

She looked out the window. The sky was still dark, illuminated only by the lights from the main part of the city a few miles away. Quietly, she climbed out of bed and went to the door. She cracked it open, and looked towards the stairs. Light shown from the first floor, and she figured Jonathan was home. She ran to the stairs and down them to the living room. All she found was the lamp that illuminated the space, and no one there.

"Maybe he left it on so he wouldn't get lost when he got back..." she muttered, and sat on the couch. She brought her legs up against her chest and rested her chin on her knees, waiting. She was too scared to go back to sleep, and she wanted to talk just for a few minutes to Jonathan. Granted, he would most likely be really tired when he returned and would probably not want to speak to a child about a simple bad dream, but that was Beth's only option. All she wanted was to hear someone say the ghosts that haunted her dreams weren't real.

"Hey, whozzis?"

Beth froze, hoping the voice that came from behind her was Jonathan's.

But it was too low.

Too gruff.

She slowly turned to see a very muscular man in a black shirt and pants walking towards her. Another one with about the same build walked from the hallway and noticed her as well.

She jumped off of the couch and backed up against the wall. The first one tsked, and kept coming towards her.

"Prolly just an orphan who snuck in here for a rest." the one at the hall said.

"Yeah, I figure. I'll have to knock her out."

"That's mean, Micheal."

"It's gotta be done. He said any intruder and she's an intruder." he said, and picked up Beth by the scruff. "Any intruders are to be dealt with accordingly. Little thing is lucky I don't kill her like he wants."

Beth screamed as he hauled her back to the couch. He smacked her against the head to shut her up. The assault instantly brought back the headache from earlier that day.

"Oooowwww..." she mumbled as tears formed in her eyes. He dropped her on the couch and pointed to a gun that rested on his hip.

"Well don't yell like a banshee, then. If you do that, or make a run for it, you'll get a bullet to the head." he said, and sat on the chair.

"Why did boss send us here anyway?"

"He wanted us to look over things, and keep anyone from entering."

"We coulda been helping with the Batman, though. He was on our tails like white on rice..."

"Boss must have somethin' worth somethin' in here. He's wary of that Bat, so he sent us here to make sure he doesn't stick his nose in anything."

"Still think he should have sent the rookies here, instead. I bet half of them are knocked out and cuffed by now."

Beth, whose hands were resting on her pained head, was paying attention to the whole conversation.

"Who do you work for?" she asked. The two men looked at each other before answering. She was just a kid. She couldn't do anything, right?

"A good Doctor Jonathan Crane." the one in the hall said creepily, as if trying to scare the girl. He walked in front of her and leaned down close. "Or, when his mask is on..." he paused for dramatic effect. "He's known to many as-"

"Scarecrow, yeah..." Beth mumbled, and looked away from him. Slightly disgruntled, he pulled back and frowned.

"Alright smarty." he said, and sat next to her. "What's your reasons for being here anyway?"

Beth considered his question. Jonathan sent them here but didn't mention her to them. He must not have wanted them to know about her...

"Just found a way in and decided to stay for the night..." she lied.

"Well, you made a bad choice kiddo, 'cause now you're gonna face my boss when he gets back, and trust me, he's creepy as hell for a guy that thin. He'll rule out what happens to you."

"Whatever..." Beth muttered, and stared at her knees.

"Kid's got moxy." the one named Micheal said, and chuckled.

"Yeah well bravery doesn't keep you alive in this city." the other one said.

"Neither does cowardice." Beth added.

"Kid thinks she's clever." he said. "Why you awake?"

"Bad dream..." Beth said. No point in lying about that. The one next to her smiled.

"Aww, da baby had a bad dweam..." he said with a baby's voice. Beth looked at him with an unimpressed expression.

"If you're trying to insult me, then try a little harder. That was lame..." she said. Micheal laughed.

"Looks like she got you beat, John." he said. John's face turned a bit red.

"Listen brat, don't you try your smart mouth on me. I'll beat your little ass." he said.

"You most certainly will not."

Beth looked forward to the door. It was open, and Jonathan was leaning on the frame. He was wearing a suit, and the jacket looked almost like a straight jacket, with buckles hanging from the arms. He clenched a burlap mask in his hands and his glasses were missing. The two men jumped from their seats and walked to him.

"You alright, boss?"

"Fine, just worn from running like an idiot across Gotham from that damnable Bat..." he walked in, and Beth noticed a bruise forming on his cheek.

"Dr. Crane, are you-"

"I _just_ said I'm fine." he snapped, and Beth shut up. She put her hand in her lap, and looked to the floor, now too afraid to speak. Jonathan saw this and sighed in agitation.

"Looks like you spooked her boss." Micheal said. John scoffed and waved his hand at Beth.

"Kid like that is easy to scare. She'd probly run in fright if she saw a bee in the room." he said, and laughed. Jonathan grabbed John's shirt, and the thug stopped laughing instantly.

"That '_kid'_..." Jonathan said. "Has done things in her life that would make even the sickest of criminals' skin _crawl._ The things she fears do not include simple bees or spiders. Do _not_...insult her..." Jonathan released Johns shirt and walked to the couch. He sat down, and leaned against the back. "Thank you for worrying, Bethany.." he said, looking to the ceiling.

Beth was surprised by his last words, and she nodded. "Yeah.."

"Bethany..." Micheal said from his seat. He scanned Bethany's appearance, contemplating. His face finally lit up in shock after a moment. "Jesus...shit..." he said. Jonathan gave a shaky laugh, and John only looked confused.

"What?" John asked. Micheal lifted a finger and pointed at Beth.

"That's the kid that fucked up her whole family. The one on the news. She did some sick shit." Micheal said.

"Language in front of the young lady.." Jonathan said.

"Yes boss. But that's still nuts. Was you lying when you said you found this place on accident?" Micheal asked Bethany. She nodded.

"Dr. Crane found me and took me in for now..." she added the 'for now' just to keep on the safe side. She didn't really believe that Jonathan would keep her here for long. She believed she was just something to pass time with until he became bored.

"So she works for you now, eh, boss?" John asked. Jonathan shook his head.

"Simply a recovering patient." he said.

"Recovering patient?" Beth asked in confusion. Jonathan nodded.

"When you're healed and your mentality has regained an amount of its stability, you will be subject to my fear toxin." he said. Beth's eyes widened. So he would use her. Of course he would. She was half expecting it anyway. She sighed and gripped her shirt.

"Okay..."

"You're fine with that, kid?" John asked. Beth nodded. Micheal did the same, with a sad smile on his face.

"Told you, John; Kid's got moxy..."


	4. Bethany Is Afraid

Some weeks passed, and Beth was finally able to remove all of her bandages and could walk around without becoming dizzy or sick. Her bruises were nearly gone, and, with Jonathan's help, she was able to let the guilt of killing her family fade at least a little. She still felt bad, but she now no longer really cared. The past few weeks she spent with The Scarecrow were more eventful and enjoyable then her entire life with her family ever was. He talked to her. He helped her. He even pretended to care for her. She didn't even mind that she was only a patient, and would soon be experimented on. She felt it was proper payment for his kindness thus far.

She now sat in the kitchen, eating a bowl of cheerios. Her feet dangled just above the floor, and she moved them to and fro. Jonathan had acquired her some properly sized clothing for someone her age and she was happy none of it was frilly or cutesy. Most of her shirts were button up, either white or black, and her pants were slightly on the dressy side. She figured she looked a little bit like a receptionist, and she found she oddly liked it.

"So, I'm feeling a lot better now." she said. Jonathan was at the counter, pouring black coffee into a plain white mug. He nodded.

"It's been weeks since the incident, so any cuts or bruises should be faded or gone by now." he said tiredly. He clumsily put the pot back on the rest and sighed. You could be a sinner or a saint, a cop or a renowned villain, Monday mornings gave no exceptions, and was equally relentless on everybody.

"No, I mean my mentality, or whatever you call it. I'm feeling pretty stable." Beth said. Jonathan frowned in confusion as he added a bit of sugar to the coffee.

"Yes, your point being?" he asked, slightly dreading the answer. His own mind wasn't exactly 'all there' at the moment, and the way she was speaking was making him suspicious. He picked up his mug and took a sip of the scalding drink in wait for her reply.

"Well, aren't you going to experiment on me now?" Beth asked. Jonathan spun around to face her and smacked his knee into the counter. He flinched in pain, and the coffee spilled from his mug and onto his hand.

Monday mornings...

_Yeah_...

"_Dammit all to hell!_" Jonathan slammed the coffee mug on the counter, spilling more on his hand, and he retracted it and gripped it painfully. Beth watched the entire scene, and couldn't help but find it slightly comical. She couldn't hold back the giggle. Jonathan heard it and glared angrily at her. "You find that amusing?" he hissed. Bethany shook her head, still smiling, and hopped up from her chair. She walked over to the sink and began to run cold water.

"Put your hand under it." she said. Grumbling, Jonathan did as he was told. After a moment, the cool water had helped the pain recede slightly. Beth watched him, still amused.

"Now, I'm gonna ask my previous question, and I need you to promise not to hurt yourself this time when I do, okay?" she asked. Jonathan shot a look at her, but remained quiet. "Are you going to experiment on me yet?" she asked. He sighed.

"Soon enough." he said. He stopped the water and dried his hand with a paper towel. Beth scrunched her eyebrows. That was the same answer her gave her the first time she asked him that some weeks ago.

"Are you even going to experiment on me?" she asked. Jonathan blinked, and looked at her.

"You know, you may be the first person who sounded eager to be subject to my toxin..." he said. "And a child, no less..." he added before returning to his coffee. He sat with it at the table, and looked over the front page of his paper. Beth huffed, knowing he wouldn't answer her questions on the subject directly. She sat back down in her seat and started to finish her cheerios.

"Any work you need to do today?" she asked. He shook his head dully as he kept reading. Beth smiled. "Let's go out today!" she said loudly. Jonathan looked up at her eager face in question.

"Yes, two_ wanted criminals _going out in broad daylight where they can be seen by everyone sounds _exciting_..." he said. Bethany's face fell just a hint. She forgot about that.

"Oh, yeah..." she said, and brought her empty bowl and spoon to the sink where she rinsed and cleaned them. When she was done, she placed them in their respective places in the cabinet and drawer. "How old are you?" she asked after she returned to the table.

"Twenty-four. Why do you need to know?" he replied. Beth's eyes widened.

"Wow, I was off..." she said.

"Are you saying you think I'm old?"

"I thought you were at least in your thirties!" she said. "With the college and getting that position at Arkham, you can't be just twenty-four!" Jonathan smirked at this.

"Yes, well, thanks to my connections, college was much shorter than it should have been, and acquiring my position took only a few weeks." he said.

"Oh. So you bought your way through it all?" she asked. Jonathan didn't really like the unimpressed tone she gave.

"I assure you, my qualifications were true, and the people I truly worked for knew that. We just couldn't wait so many years until I finally reached our goals. So, they pulled some strings..."

"Oh, okay. That makes your age make way more sense..." she said, still slightly confused. Jonathan nodded, and turned to the next page of his paper. Beth stared at him for a moment as he causally read and took small sips of his coffee. For a criminal psychopath, he was oddly normal.

"You know, you aren't that scary after a while..." she said. Jonathan went rigid, and his eye twitched. Bet knew she crossed a line there, but she couldn't help but smile. "You're too cool to be scary to me anymore..."

"That..." Crane said, but 'that' was it. He practically gawked at the girl as he replayed her comments in his mind.

"Did I say something wrong?" Beth asked, her brow was raised in question. Jonathan sighed and set the paper down.

"Though I'll overlook it, I should tell you that it isn't exactly safe for people to mock me..." he said.

"I'm not mocking you, I'm just saying you're just not scary. Do you take offense to that?" she asked. Jonathan leaned over to her.

"Miss Niles, I will tell you now that I take the highest offense to that." he said. Beth cocked her head to the side.

"Why?" she asked.

"I am the Master of Fear, and my work rotates around my experimenting on people's fears. The entirety of Gotham cringes in horror at the mere mention of my name, and here I have a twelve-year-old little girl saying that I'm _just not scary_. Now, Bethany, tell me; would you, if you were in my shoes, take offense to that?" he asked. Bethany leaned over close to him now, her eyes wide.

"I think you have serious issues, if you're taking offense to a child's opinion, Dr. Crane..." she muttered. Jonathan's eyes widened and he slowly leaned back in his seat and he stared away from her and into space. Beth smirked at him. "Taking offense again?" she asked. When he didn't answer, she sighed and rested her chin on her hand. "You need a serious kick in the ego, if you're gonna be like this every time I say something against you, Doc..." she said. Jonathan looked at her, and narrowed his eyes.

"Well then, Miss Niles. I think my day just cleared up, and I'm feeling much in the mood to play with my chemistry set..." he said, and stood. He grabbed her by the wrist, and before she could even blink, he was dragging her to the door leading to outside.

"Ow! You know I'd follow if you'd just lemme go!" she said angrily. Jonathan didn't appear to hear her, and opened the door before walking briskly with her outside. Beth looked around warily, wondering if anybody would see them. There was no one though, and she gave a breathe of relief.

Jonathan scanned the areas before walking with her to a small car a few feet away. He opened the passenger door and shoved her inside. Beth righted herself in her seat and scowled at him as he got in the driver's seat.

"Where are we going?" she asked when he slammed the door shut.

"My area of work." he said, and began to search the car for keys.

"Is this car even yours?" Beth asked when he finally found the keys tucked under the floor mat.

"No." he muttered, and started the engine, which practically gagged in protest as he drove forward. Beth hooded her eyes at the odd noise.

"Oh, I love hearing that suspicious sound coming from a broken down car that we don't even own..."

"Shut up. I've been through worse..." Jonathan said. He adjusted his glasses and drove swiftly down the road. Beth was hoping she might remember the path he was taking, but there were so many turns and the roads were sometimes so long that she just gave up ten minutes into focusing.

When they finally stopped, she looked out her grimy window to see a shack of sorts, built of old bricks that seemed to be crumbling like sand. Weeds grew around and even on the walls. The windows were shattered, and showed only darkness from the inside.

"Fancy..." she muttered. Jonathan ignored her comment and climbed out of the car. Beth did the same, and looked over to the car's hood after shutting the car door. Steam rose steadily from under it. "Are we going to survive the trip back?" she asked, imagining the car just blowing up as soon as Jonathan next started it. As an answer, Jonathan grabbed her wrist again and lead her to the building's entrance. The door swung open unceremoniously, and they stepped inside. Even with the light from the windows and doorway, the room was still very dark. Beth kept close to Jonathan as they walked in. She looked around, and found that the room was empty save for some fallen bricks and weeds.

"This some sort of joke?" she asked.

"This way..." Jonathan murmured, and brought her over to the corner, where she saw a trap door. He let her go, reached down, and swung it open. Beth looked down inside to see gridiron steps leading into pitch black darkness. "Well, go." he said. Beth shook her head and stepped back.

"I don't want to..." she said. Jonathan furrowed his brow at the fear showing on her face.

"What, are you afraid of a boogeyman?" he asked. Beth shook her head again.

"That's just too dark." she said quietly. Jonathan was taken aback by that.

"You're afraid of the dark then?" he asked. Beth shuffled her foot a little.

"Not so much the dark as the fact that so much stuff can hide in it..." she muttered. Jonathan sighed, and began to walk down the steps.

"Just a moment..." he said. Beth watched him disappear, and shuddered. She heard him moving around, and flinched when a light suddenly came on, lighting the darkness dimly. "Come on, then." he called at her. Taking one long breath, she descended the steps.

The room she reached was larger than the one upstairs. There were shelves on the wall, covered in an assortment of vials and odd things. Two tables sat right next to each other, covered with the same things. Jonathan stood by a small desk that was absolutely littered with notes that Beth concluded to be his own. What really shocked her was the strange man that sat tied in a chair in the center.

"_Good morning_, Mr. Dodson!" Jonathan said in fake cheer to the man. He now held a clipboard, and he walked over and inspected the man's teary face. "Have a good evening? I sure didn't. I may be in need of a new mattress." he said, and took some notes when Dodson didn't answer. Beth watched intently as Jonathan did a small check-up on the man, checking his pulse, his eyes, and what-not.

"Woah..." she whispered to herself in awe. This scare business, she realized, was much more than just jumping out ans spooking people with fumes. Jonathan checked everything from right to left, leaving nothing overlooked.

"Well, anyway, Mr. Dodson." Jonathan said after a few minutes. He picked the clipboard back up and wrote something down. "It seems you're recovering from your last dose of toxin wonderfully." he said with a businesslike smile. Dodson swallowed, and looked up at Jonathan.

"Y-you could let me go, y-you know. I-I-I-I'm a wealthy man! I can pay you!" he said, his voice hoarse. Jonathan surveyed the man for a moment, appearing to think over his offer.

"You would pay me, you say?" he asked, sounding interested. The man smiled hopefully, and nodded.

"Y-yeah!" he said. "Just name your price!" Jonathan tapped the clipboard with his pen in thought.

"Hmm, no, I'll have to decline, Mr. Dodson." he said finally.

"W-why not?" Dodson asked incredulously. No one ever refused money...

"Because, I've already been paid quite a lot by the young lady who sent me to you. I wouldn't want to two-time her. Besides, if word got out that I disrespected my clients so badly, I'd lose business. Please understand, that it isn't anything personal." Jonathan said. He looked over to Beth."I get these offers so often, you wouldn't believe." he said in amusement. Dodson looked confusedly to where Jonathan was talking to, and frowned at Beth. She stared back at him.

"W-who's that?" he asked.

"Just an acquaintance of mine. She's interested to find how my toxin effects people, including herself." Jonathan said. Dodson's eyes bulged.

"F-fuckin' crazy, kid..." he said to her.

"Language, Mr. Dodson. We have a lady present. But yes, I must agree that she is quite irregular mentally. Come here and say hello, Miss Niles. He won't harm you." Jonathan said. Beth walked forward to stand near Jonathan, keeping her eyes on the man as she got closer.

"Hullo.." she said quietly, and clasped her hands behind her back before looking shyly to the floor. Dodson only gawked at her.

"Adorable, isn't she? A bit shy at first, but once she knows you, she just won't stop talking at times." Jonathan said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Bethany, this is Mr. Charles Dodson. I've been paid quite handsomely to have him punished for killing a young lady's dear husband and framing her for it so he wouldn't have to spend the rest of his days in a cramped cell, which she is doing currently." he said. Beth's eyes widened.

"Really?" she asked, wrinkling her nose in slight disgust. Dodson noticed her expression and narrowed his eyes.

"You gonna judge _me_, kid, when you're hangin' around this trash without a care in the freakin' world?" he asked. Beth frowned.

"Scarecrow doesn't frame other people for his crimes. He takes full responsibility." she said flatly. "You're just a coward..." She didn't see the smug expression light up Jonathan's face, but she did watch as Dodson growled at her.

"Little bitch, makin' insults now with that freakshow standin' there." he said.

"And I understand that you're not in any position to make insults, sir. So, I'd watch your mouth if I were you." she replied, and crossed her arms, all shyness gone from her face. Jonathan raised a brow at her openness, impressed.

"Well said, Miss Niles. Shall we get this over with then?" he asked, gesturing to the tables on the other side of the room. Beth nodded and walked with him over to them.

"Where you goin'?" Dodson asked in a panicked tone.

"Oh, don't worry, Mr. Dodson." Jonathan called to him. "I'll be right with you..." He curled his lip in cruel pleasure when he heard Dodson reply with a whimper. When they reached the tables, Jonathan picked Beth up and rested her on the top of one. "Now, I'll need to check some things before we begin. Do exactly as I say, understand me?" he asked. Beth bit her lip, and nodded.

"This isn't gonna hurt, is it?" she was embarrassed to ask, but just had to know. She wasn't a real fan of pain. Jonathan gave a small smile of reassurance before adjusting his glasses and taking up her wrist. He placed two fingers over it and looked at his watch.

"It shouldn't. I will only give you one of my more watered down versions. If I gave you what I gave Mr. Dodson, your five senses would all be affected-"

"Cool..."

"And your mind would shatter and you heart would most likely explode from the strain. This is why I don't use my work on children unless absolutely necessary."

"Give me an example of 'absolutely necessary'." sh said. Jonathan let go of her wrist and took some notes.

"Well, the current situation would be appropriate, since it is necessary for me to do this just to quiet you and teach you to properly fear me." he replied, and put on a stethoscope.

"Why do you need people to be afraid of you so much-"

"Quiet, and take some deep breaths for me." he interrupted when he placed the round piece over her heart. Beth scowled at him, but did as she was told. When he was done, he took some more notes, and looked at her. "Are you prone to headaches or migraines?"

"No."

"ADD, ADHD?"

"I don't know."

"Ugh. I'll revisit that at a later date. Have you recently had any illnesses? A cold, or flu? Something in that nature?"

"No."

"Good, good. And have you ever participated in this before?"

"You're kidding..."

"Part of the procedure, and I rarely 'kid'."

"_NO._.."

"Was that sarcasm, or were you answering my question?"

"A little of both."

"Alright then, at least your keeping in good spirits."

"Are we done with the questions yet?"

"Yes, now I want you to relax. This will only last for a few minutes." he said, and picked up a syringe from the other table. Beth glanced at it.

"O-okay..." she said, and took a shaky breath.

"Suddenly not feeling so up to it?" he asked in amusement. Beth grumbled at the comment and shook her head vigorously.

"I'm just fine." she muttered.

"Alright. I would like you to try and answer the questions I ask you during, and, please try your best to refrain from destroying the area while your under the toxin's effect." he said, and stuck the needle in her arm before she could question his words. The yellow liquid was injected, and Beth was almost instantly plunged into darkness.

She looked around wildly, trying to see, but there was no light. Her heart began to race, and she wiped the sweat from her brow. So this was what the toxin could do to you...

"J-Jonathan?" she called. Her words seemed to echo.

"I'm here, child." the sudden voice made her jolt. "Interesting reaction. What is it you're experiencing." Jonathan's calm voice asked. Beth was breathing heavily now.

"Uh-um...I-It's really dark...I can't see." she said.

"Nothing at all? Tell me, is it the fact that you can't see what's in the dark, or just the darkness itself that is unsettling you?" the voice asked. Beth thought she saw something stir in the darkness, but it disappeared before she could focus on it.

"I-I just saw something..." she said quickly, and froze in place.

"What was it?"

"I don't know. It's hiding." she said, and reached out. "Jonathan, where are you?"

"I'm here, now don't move, and see if you can search this thing you saw out." he said. Beth shut her eyes, but the black void only followed her. She couldn't escape it. She heard something sweep by her, and she snapped her attention in that direction.

Jonathan watched her suddenly look to her left, and studied as the color drained from her small face. Her lip quivered, and she tried to back up onto the table and away from the something she was seeing and apparently quite afraid of.

"What is it, Bethany?" he asked. She then brought her arms up to shield herself from the imaginary threat.

"_Jonathan_!" her sudden scream made him jump and nearly drop his clipboard. She fell over on the table and kicked, punched and screamed in every direction. Vials that rested on the table fell to the ground and shattered, and Jonathan silently cursed himself for not clearing those away earlier.

He walked up to her and tried to hold her in place. The adrenaline rushing through her system made this a very difficult task, and she managed to give Jonathan a good punch in the jaw before he could hold her arms down. She squirmed under him, her face contorted in fear.

She screamed again, and then stopped, her eyes locking with Crane's. He sighed, knowing it was over.

"Beth, it's fine, it's done n-"

"_Look out!_" she yelled quickly, and Jonathan spun around. He was greeted with a hard punch to the nose by Dodson, and he fell backward, blood running from his nose. Dodson, jumped onto Crane and started beating him.

"Make a fool outta me, huh?" he shouted as he smashed Jonathan's face into the floor.

"Dammit all..." Jonathan muttered, mild annoyance clear in his tone. Beth watched Dodson punch him again, and flinched. Her eyes searched everywhere, and eventually landed on a small rack of assorted syringes, each syringe casing a darker yellow substance as they went. Beth took the one with the darkest color, and ran up to Dodson. She uncapped it, and shoved the needle into his neck. He cried out in pain, and Beth injected the liquid before he whipped around and hit her hard in the gut.

The air rushed from her lungs, and she collapsed. She looked up at Dodson, he almost hit her again, but he froze. His eyes bulged, and his body began to shake furiously. Jonathan sat up and shoved him off of him.

"Ghwua-gh-gh..." Dodson made garbled noises, and foam leaked from his mouth. He was completely silent. Crane took his now broken glasses off his face and wiped the blood from his nose. His eyes fell on the syringe still sticking into Dodson's neck.

"Bethany what did you-" he looked over to Bethany, and saw the pain written on her face. He leaned over to her. "Are you alright?" he asked. She coughed, and nodded.

"Air..." she forced the word out, and he nodded, then waited patiently for her to take a breath. She finally gasped, and she sucked in the air gratefully. She leaned over onto the wall, and rested her head against it.

"What did you use on him." Jonathan asked, studying the twitching man lying next to them.

"Just grabbed the one with the darkest color. It looked like the nastiest one.." she said. Jonathan wheezed a laugh, and sniffed before wiping the blood from his nose again.

"The...nastiest one...I would be lying if I said that was incorrect, Miss Niles." he said. "It seems you just used the last of my highest concentration...on this..." he kicked Dodson hard in the stomach from where he sat, annoyance once again plain on his face. "This...unworthy...piece of _filth._.." he finished in a whisper. Bethany looked down to the floor.

"I'm sorry..." she said quietly. "He was hurting you, and I acted without thinking. I couldn't stand seeing you like tha-"

"_It's fine_..." Jonathan cut her off there. He rubbed his hands together and leaned back, touching the back of his head to the wall and looking up at the ceiling. "I was just...saving that...for somebody. No matter. I'll make a new batch. I needed to anyway..."

They both sat in silence, listening to Dodson whimper in his petrified state. Beth watched Jonathan, whose eyes were now closed. Some fresh welts were forming under his eye and on his cheek. He didn't even seem to notice the blood dripping from his nose anymore, and he just let it trail down his face and fall in droplets to the ground. She bit her lip, and stood up.

If he heard her walk forward, he didn't show that he noticed and kept his eyes closed. She knelt down next to him, and wiped his cheek with her sleeve, removing some of the blood. His eyes opened and he looked right at her.

"You should probably get some ice on your face before those bumps swell anymore." she said, and smiled. "Your heads big enough already from your ego, we don't want it puffing up anymore over something like this." He looked her over for another moment.

"What did you see that made you react like that?" he asked. Beth hesitated.

"I saw that woodcutter from the story you read me a while ago. He came after me with an axe." she said. Jonathan quirked his eyebrow and nodded once.

"Alright. So you're afraid of the dark and fairytale hero's. Interesting case, indeed." he said, and snorted at its absurdity. Beth smiled at him and looked over to Dodson.

"What's he afraid of?" she asked. Jonathan opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by a horrific shriek that suddenly came from Dodson. Beth nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden noise, and Jonathan's brows only rose high in interest. They looked over at Dodson, who was clawing at his face. Beth crawled and hid on the other side of Jonathan in an attempt to keep as far from the now writhing man as possible.

"He's horribly afraid of insects..." Jonathan muttered, a gave a sick smile when the red lines that Dodson left on his face began to bleed. Beth nodded.

"Get 'em off! _Get 'em off_! They're biting me! They're digging in me!" Dodson screeched. He scratched harder, making his face bleed more. Beth hid her face in Jonathan's arm when Dodson began to dig at his own eyes. Jonathan patted her shaking hand, and she peeked up at him. His smile had turned to a disturbing grin, all signs of his scientific and calculating self gone, leaving only the image of a cruel madman taking joy in another's horror and pain. She shook silently at the image.

And she hoped desperately that this small part of him would never find good reason to bare it's dark fangs at her...

...

Author's Note: So sorry for the lateness! I was just in lala land forevers. I was thinking about giving Crane multiple personality disorder like in one of the comic series, but I saw that it was done a lot already, and I said "Well, shit! I'm not gonna kick a dead horse.." so I just made his evil "other self" into just a state of being that he kind of slips into when he sees a lot of gore caused by himself. I made Crane a sick puppy, not that he wasn't one already, lol. Hope you enjoyed the chappie! ;D


	5. Bethany Is Invited

"C-H-E-M-I-C-A-L. Chemical." Beth said. She and Jonathan sat at the kitchen table, going over what he had been able to teach her so far. It had been a month since she was subject to his toxin, and, now that she had a much better understanding of what Jonathan was all about, she found it easier to get along with the odd Doctor.

"Good, tell me the product of 6 and 6." he said.

"Thirty." she answered. Jonathan reached over and flicked her hard on the side of the head. "Ow! Thirty-six!" she corrected herself, and rubbed her head where he flicked her. He sighed, and looked back at his notes.

"The difference between mass and volume." he said. Beth scrunched her face, trying hard to remember that bit of information.

"Um.." she muttered. "I know this..."

"Bethany..." Jonathan eyed her and tapped the table.

"Mass is the amount of stuff in an object, and...volume..is the amount of space that object is in?" she ended her answer, making it sound like a question. Jonathan raised a brow at her.

"Are you asking me, or are you answering?" he asked.

"Answering." she said. He gave her a curt nod.

"A bit sloppy, but correct. Next question-"

"Boss." came a new voice. Jonathan and Beth looked up in mild surprise at the new figure that appeared from nowhere to their kitchen. Beth frowned when she saw it was John.

"Great, it's that guy..." she muttered, and sat her chin on the table, knowing her review for today was over. Whenever John or Micheal came over, it was instantly to work for Crane.

"What's with that attitude, girly?" John asked, feigning hurt. Beth shot him a look.

"Hmph. Micheal's much nicer, and, if you haven't noticed, you are keeping my education from reaching any further than where it's at currently." she said, sniffed. "You killer of academics..."

"It ain't my fault yer so dull-witted at this age." John said to her. She sat up and crossed her arms.

"Oh really? I'd have to argue. Just smelling the old alcohol on that dingy coat of yours is killing my brain cells." she said and stuck her tongue out at him. John huffed.

"Well you're more than welcome to take a good whiff if that's the case."

"Let's get to the reason for why you're here." Jonathan said quickly before a red faced Beth could open her mouth again. John smirked and nodded.

"Tomorrow night at the 'berg. Penguin's holdin' a little private shindig for his pals, and you've been invited." John said.

"the 'berg?" Beth asked.

"The Iceberg Lounge. A colleague of mine runs it." Jonathan said. "Who all will be attending this?" Jonathan asked. He suddenly seemed very tired.

"I gathered that so far that the top guys'll be there except for Dent. He was put in Arkham two days ago ." John said. Jonathan practically slumped.

"Uuugh..."

"What's wrong, Dr. Crane? Don't you want to see your friends?" Beth asked. He didn't appear to hear her as he gazed hopelessly up at the ceiling.

"That tea sucking fool will be there...damned riddling idiot...plant woman..." he mumbled a lot of things bitterly, and Beth became confused.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"He don't want to go. He hates those get-togethers..." John said when Jonathan didn't reply.

"Then he shouldn't. No one is making him." she said. John shook his head.

"Ain't like that. These aren't just parties these crime lords go to have fun at; it's more like a business party. They get together, and yeah, small talk's gonna happen, but they also exchange information, like give numbers to trustworthy smugglers and shippers, and also even give the names of people that they should avoid for various reasons."

"I still don't see why it's required for him to go. I mean, what if he has all the information he needs?" she asked.

"It's not just an information exchange." Jonathan mumbled, and Beth looked to him. "They're also held to see who exactly goes or not. 'Keeping in touch' has a much stronger meaning with my crowd of people. You go both to do business and make sure that they know you are willing to stay associated with them. It's alright to skip out on a few of these damned things, but if you just don't attend any of them, they'll eventually assume that you have separated yourself from the group. You'll lose what shred of trust they have in you and you will be excluded from the exchange of sometimes valuable information. Completely cut off from the criminal loop. I can't risk that, so I need to go...dammit..." he swept back his hair.

"Wow, all that in one party..." Beth said. She'd never been to a party, and even though it sounded so business oriented, she couldn't help wanting to go to it. John eyed her expression of interest.

"Hey, boss. Why not bring the rugrat with you? She needs to stretch her legs anyway, you know?" he said. Jonathan hooded his eyes as he came back to reality.

"No." he said flatly. From the corner of his eye he saw Beth's face fall just a bit. John pouted at his boss.

"Aww, lookit that sad little face, boss. How can you be so cold?" he said. If John wasn't one of Jonathan's best men, he probably would have shot him. Instead, he sighed and looked over to Beth. She tried to seem perfectly fine, but he saw right through her.

"They would eat you alive...literally..." he said. Beth huffed at him.

"If I can handle _you_, I think I can handle a couple other crazies..." she murmured. John grinned.

"She's got a point, 'Crow. These guys'd be a walk inna park for her. Hell, I bet they'd like the little spit." he said. Johnathan stared Beth in the eyes for many long minutes. She stared right back, her gaze unwavering. He finally slapped the table once.

"Fine, but you will be silent and you will do exactly as I say, do you understand me?" he said, deadly serious. Beth gulped and nodded quickly.

"Y-yes, sir." she said. Satisfied with her answer, Jonathan turned back to John.

"I'll need you to go to Oswald and inform him that I'll be bringing a guest, and tell him to keep his beak shut about it. I don't want anyone getting excited over a child." he said. John nodded once and walked to the exit. Jonathan watched him go, then looked at Beth, who had a smug expression. "What are you all happy about? Back to your review." he muttered, and flicked her in the head again.

She didn't stop smiling as they continued what they were doing.

...

That night they both stepped from the car Micheal chauffeured them to the Iceberg Lounge in. They entered through the front, much to Beth's surprise.

"Won't we be caught?" she asked quietly, pulling the hood of her sweatshirt over her eyes. Even though Jonathan was dressed in a suit, they were bound to be noticed. She was surprised when he shook his head.

"Look around, Bethany." he said as they walked in. She did, and saw men and women in posh clothing, chatting idly amongst themselves and sipping from overpriced wine without a care. None of them looked in her and Jonathan's direction.

"Wow, how oblivious can you be?" she said, dropping her hood from her head. He gave a dark chuckle.

"They are all too absorbed in their own little world of riches and jewels to even notice people like us. They won't even pass us a single glance. We are practically ghosts, unless we go up in front of their faces and scream at them. So is the psychology of the rich." he said. Bethany nodded, and looked from the expensive clothing to her red pleat skirt and plain red sweatshirt. She felt out of place here.

"Talk about a letdown." she muttered. She couldn't remember ever feeling so bad about not being noticed.

"Don't let it get to you. With all their wealth, they live a life with a false sense of security. That makes them very easy targets." he said, and walked up to the maitre d'. She looked over to them both, and Beth was sure they were found out.

"Reservation?" the maitre d' asked in a silky voice. Jonathan nodded.

"Under the name J. Irving." he said quietly. The maitre d' nodded, and she looked to Bethany.

"Plus one?" she glanced, glancing back to Crane. He nodded. The woman looked over Beth once more before she began to walk to the back of the lounge. "This way, Mr. Irving." she called. Jonathan sighed and took Beth's hand before following the woman.

As they walked, Beth noticed an area in the center of the lounge that dropped off into a large tank of water. Ice protruded from the center. She saw two large animals, and her eyes widened. She tugged at Jonathan's jacket.

"Jonathan, those are seals!" she whispered in excitement. Jonathan rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Oswald is known for using his money for ridiculous items. They're useless creatures."

"They're awesome." she said.

"To a child, yes."

"Here we are, Mr. Irving." the maitre d' said when they reached the far wall. She held the door open for them to enter, and they walked into a short hallway that lead to yet another door. The maitre d' walked up to a small panel next to the door and typed in what Beth assumed was a password. A small dinging noise sounded, and the maitre d' opened the door.

Jonathan and Beth walked into a large room. There were couches in one area and a table laden with assorted finger foods in another area. One of the walls was made from glass and showed another small room of penguins playing in ice and water.

Beth saw a woman who was looking into the room of penguins, her face appearing to be pressed completely against the glass. She wore a red and black Jester's outfit and hat.

"Hey, you cutie widdle penguins!" she called out loudly in a high pitched jersey accent. Beth blinked wildly when the woman began to bang on the glass. "Hey!" the woman called to them again.

"Umm.." Beth said. "Is she mentally retarded?" she asked. Jonathan snorted.

"Believe it or not, she was once my top psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum, and worked just under me. She's quite intelligent."

"Then...why is she-"

"Being a complete moron?" Jonathan interrupted. Just then a cackling came from the other side of the room. Beth looked over to see a green-haired man in a purple suit laughing next to two other men. His face was painted white, black paint circled his eyes, and red paint trailed from his lips up almost to his ears, making it seem like a disturbing smile. "That man, the Joker, would be the very reason."

"I can believe that." Beth said. The men he stood next to didn't appear to be as amused as the Joker. One was dressed in a dark green suit and wore a green bowler cap over his red hair. A purple mask hid his slightly annoyed eyes and he leaned on a black cane that had a question mark on the nob. The other man didn't really seem like he was even paying attention, and looked to be staring into a small teacup he held. He wore a large top-hat with the card 10/6 sticking from the ribbon on the base, and long blue overcoat.

"Alright." Jonathan said. "Let's get this overw-"

"Ooooh myyyy _gaaawwwd_!" Beth was barely even able to register the squeal when someone slammed into her and brought her into the tightest hug she'd ever been given. "She's so cute! So _cuuute_! Ivy, come lookit this adorable little puppy! Here, I'll bring her over!"

"Hey what're you doing?! _Jonathan_!" Beth tried to protest when the clown woman picked her up and hauled her over to the couches. She was sat roughly down next to a beautiful red haired woman who looked over her in mild shock.

"Where did this little wildflower come from, Harls?" she asked. Beth saw that her skin had a green tinge to its paleness, and it surprisingly complimented her. She didn't care though, and she jumped from the seat. She backed into someone, and looked up to see Jonathan looking down at her.

"Jonathan." she breathed gratefully, and hid behind him when the clown girl tried to grab her again.

"Harley..." Jonathan said. The clown girl stopped her pursuit and grinned sheepishly at him.

"Hiya, Dr. Crane." she said.

"I would appreciate if you didn't toss my assistant around like a doll..." he said. Beth nodded vigorously at Harley in agreement. She felt something poke her back, and she turned around to see the man in the green suit had poked her with his cane in interest.

"Hmm. A riddle, I see." he said.

"An assistant, Riddles!" Harley said. Riddler's eyes widened at this.

"Oh, really..." he said, and looked amusedly at Jonathan.

"I've seen some young recruits, but never were they this young. Where'd you pick this one up, mm? Orphanage? What's her deal?" he asked.

"Interrogation, much?" Beth muttered.

"No, just wondering what the hell a mere child is doing here, my dear." Riddler promptly answered. "This is a private party for Gotham's greatest criminals, not some playground-"

"And what makes you think she's a _mere child_, Nygma?" Jonathan asked with a prim smile on his face. "I never knew you to jump so quickly to ridiculous conclusions." If Riddler became angry, he didn't show it, and simply cocked his head to the side.

"Then please enlighten me." he said.

"Bethany Niles!" the Joker shouted out before Jonathan could answer. Beth watched Joker walk right up to her and she froze when he took her hand up and kissed it. He smiled at her when he straightened up, and she noticed long scars extending from the corners of his mouth. "Saw you all over the news. A, ah, _pleasure_, to meet a sick puppy like yourself." he said, and cackled. Riddler's brow furrowed at her as gears whirred in his head.

"Oh, _really._.." he said when comprehension finally dawned on him. He leaned over his cane to inspect her further. "You are quite the interesting case indeed. Little girl kills family and disappears from the face of the earth. Now we know where you went, at least." he looked back up at Jonathan. "Every psychiatrist in Gotham would just _love _to dig into this girls mind and pick it to pieces, you know."

"Well, I've already found her reasons, Nygma. They were quite justified."

"I'd very much like to know the justified reason behind hacking your family's guts from their bodies.." Riddler said. Beth glared at him, sick of him prodding at her personal life. She stepped forward and looked him right in the eye.

"They made my life hell, sir. They beat me, ignored me, and did a number of other things to me that are really mine and my psychiatrist's business and not yours. I was pushed over the edge, and I snapped. All that matters is they're dead and I'm alive, and much happier." she said. Riddler was shocked by her forwardness, and her answer. He smirked and and reached over and rustled her black hair.

"She's a keeper, Scarecrow." he said. He twirled his cane and walked off for the table of finger foods.

"Oooh, I like this girl, Crane..." The green woman said from her seat. "She's everything I like in a woman. Too bad she's so _young_..." she finished a little sadly. Beth shivered at the statement.

"I'll need to ask you to please refrain from making any more of those comments, Miss Ivy..." Jonathan said.

"Oh, you're no fun. Never were, really. Anyway, how's business been going with your dealers?" she asked. And so the business began, and Jonathan ended up referring Ivy to multiple people, while Beth somehow ended up on Harley's lap, waiting impatiently for him to finish.

"So are you like one of us now, cutie?" Harley asked as she twirled Beths hair.

"No. I don't think so." Beth replied.

"You got a super villain name?"

"No."

"Aw, too bad. I'll make one for you." she said.

"Oh...thank you..." Beth said, slightly wary.

"Oh, who's this?" came a new voice. Beth looked up to see the man in the top hat looking down at her in surprise. Harley squeezed Beth tight.

"She's Dr. Crane's little assistant, Hatter." she said.

"Oh, really? I was always telling March he needed one of those, because he's always too busy to join my tea parties.' Hatter said, and sighed at Beth. "If only your hair was yellow; you'd make a perfect Alice..."

"Even if she did, Hat Guy, she's Dr. Crane's, not yours." Harley sad, waggling her finger at him.

"I suppose you're right. It'll be a frabjous day when I finally find her." he said dolefully.

"What is frabjous?" Beth asked. Hatter blanched.

"_What is frabjous_? Surely you know it comes from the poem of the Jabberwocky, girl!" he said. Beth cocked her head.

"Jabber-_what_?" she asked. She was sure this guy was speaking nonsense. Hatter's face seemed to drain of all it's color.

"From the book, child! Lewis Carroll's 'Alice In Wonderland'!" he said.

"Alice in Wonderland?" Beth asked. He nodded hopefully.

"Yes, yes, now you surely remember-"

"Never heard of that book." she interrupted. Hatter gasped, and began to sway dizzily from where he stood.

"I say, I f-feel a tad faint..." he mumbled, and began to recite an odd poem about a twinkling little bat that Beth had never heard before.

"I think you broke Hatter, baby-cheeks." Harley giggled, and poked Hatter in the stomach. He fell down with a thump.

"What the hell did you do to him?" Jonathan asked when he turned to see Hatter staring into space on the floor.

"I broke your friend, Doc." Beth said. Jonathan sighed and stood. He walked over to Hatter and tapped him in the side with his foot. Hatter's eyes fluttered, and he looked up at Jonathan.

"Hello, Marchy old chap. However did you become so tall? I told you to stay away from those horrid mushrooms-"

"Get up, you fool." Jonathan sighed and rubbed his forehead in agitation. Hatter looked around and sat up.

"How did I end up on the floor?" he asked, and looked up at Beth. His eyes darkened, and he stood up to point angrily at Crane. "Now see here, Crane. This child has been deprived her entire live of the whimsy of Wonderland. Explain yourself." he demanded. Jonathan slapped Hatter's hand away.

"It isn't my fault she hasn't been filling her head with nonsense-"

"Nonsense it may be, Jonathan, but ever since it has been published, it has given fuel to the imaginations of minds of all ages across this wide world, and-"

"Alright! I'll get her the damned book, just calm yourself before you lose your mind anymore than you already have!" Jonathan said. Hatter's eyes glassed over instantly.

"Mind..." he mumbled. "Tell me March, have you also been contemplating things that begin with the letter 'M'?" he asked. Jonathan took on a deadpan expression. Not receiving an answer, Hatter began to rhyme to himself and he walked off. Jonathan looked over to Beth.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked. Beth jumped up from Harley's lap and nodded.

"Yup." she said.

"Awww, you're leavin' so soon?" she asked. Jonathan nodded.

"I have other business to attend to, and it's getting rather late." he said.

"Oh, _fine_, you big jerk." Harley pouted, then went to sit next to Ivy. "Bye-bye, girly!" she called to Beth before she and Jonathan headed for the exit.


	6. Bethany Pulls The Trigger

Jonathan and Beth exited the party room and he sighed heavily before walking down the hall to the next door.

"Well, that was certainly eventful." He muttered.

"Those people are weird." Beth said, matching his tired tone.

"Wait until you know them well. It only get's worse..."

"Then I don't think I want to know them well."

"I have to suffer. Why not you?"

"You would make a child suffer, Dr. Crane?"

"I merely want to share my pain equally with you, is all."

"How considerate..."

Jonathan smirked and reached for the door handle, but the door slammed open and they were both pushed quickly back by a large man in a black suit. The large man shut the door again and looked back at them through a large monocle.

"Scarecrow." he hissed. Beth looked at his gloved hands, and saw that they looked much like flippers. She swallowed.

"Penguin." Crane said nonchalantly, as he adjusted his skewed glasses. Penguin's eyes narrowed and they fell on Beth. He gasped.

"It's true, then. Dammit all to icy hell!" he said, and turned both Jonathan and Beth around to lead them quickly back to the party room.

"Oswald, you're not one to be so panicky. May I ask what the hell is going on?" Jonathan asked.

"G.C.P.D. is _crawling_ all over this damned place searching for the Rogues and _her_!" Penguin answered, gesturing to Beth. Jonathan's eyes widened.

"What?" he asked. Penguin reached the door and punched the code into the panel for it to open. The familiar dinging sound and Jonathan threw the door open and took Beth's hand.

"Party's cut short, boys!" Penguin yelled. The others in the room looked questioningly to him. "Cops and Bat flying the area!" he called. They instantly began to move to the back corner of the room. Jonathan pulled Beth along, and she saw Hatter slide part of the wall to the side, leading to another exit. She nodded, impressed by the secret escape.

"Let's go." Jonathan said, and pulled her inside the escape when they reached it.

"'Crow!" Penguin called from behind. Jonathan looked back. "You might wanna check your boys for any bedbugs. The Bat spreads those things like wildfire!" he said, and shut the wall. Jonathan growled to himself.

"Fucking perfect..." he murmured. They walked down the thin hall to a large iron door. He opened it, and they stepped outside to a secluded area. Beth noticed Ivy disappearing into the trees, while Joker and Harley ran towards the city lights.

"Gonna call Micheal or John?" Beth asked when they began to walk. Jonathan shook his head.

"They're most likely bugged." he said. "I'm not risking my safety."

"Bugged?" she didn't understand. "Like insects?"

"Small transmission devices used to listen in on private conversations or even track people. They're a favorite toy of Batman.."

"Oh..." was all Beth could say. She couldn't believe something like 'bugs' could be created. They reached a large warehouse about an hour into walking, and Beth sat roughly down on the ground.

"Does this villain stuff require a lot of walking?" she asked. Jonathan nodded, and she gave an exasperated sigh. "Craziness."

"Among other things. Let's go." he said, and walked to a door that lead to the inside of the warehouse. Beth stood up and ran over him as he opened it and entered.

They were instantly welcomed by six men pointing machine guns at them.

"Ooooh, bother..." Jonathan muttered, and put his hands in the air. Beth hid behind him.

"Oh, lookit here, fellas." said a man's voice from above. Jonathan and Beth looked up to see an old man in a white suit looking down at them from a catwalk. The man held a cigar stub in his fingers. "The scary Scarecrow's paid a visit..." he said.

"Hello, Carmine." Jonathan greeted with false pleasantness. Beth scrunched her face.

"His name is Carmine?" she asked. She thought that was a girl's name.

"Carmine Falcone, at your service, little lady." the man said to her, and she hid behind Jonathan again. "Seems I scared the young thing." he said, and laughed. Jonathan curled his lip.

"You would know about being_ scared,_ wouldn't you, Falcone?" he asked placidly. Falcone stopped his laughing and glared at Jonathan.

"Oh, yeah. That little _stunt_ you played with me back when you were the big man at Arkham..." he said. "I'll admit, I was scared shitless of you for a couple years after that...The Scarecrow..."

"You wound me, sir, implying that you aren't afraid of me anymore. Maybe I should show you my mask again..." Jonathan sneered. Falcone went rigid.

"I'd like nothing more than to have you buried in some dingy-ass lake and put that damned mask on my mantle..."

"Really, that's a bit extreme. All you need do is ask for it-"

"I want Scarecrow dead!" Falcone shouted. "Unbreathing, without life, not of this world-"

"Yes, I am well aware of what the attributes of death are-"

"_Shut up_!"

"No need to be so snappy, Falcone. I can't hurt you from down here. No need to be afraid-"

"Hell no, I'm not scared of you!"

"My professional opinion begs to differ. You've been rolling that horrid cigar in your fingers, not even flicking away the burned portion. You've been pacing, something you don't usually do, and your sweat is ruining the underarms of that lovely armani suit of yours. All subtle signs of nervousness-"

"Quiet.."

"-paranoia-"

"Shut it, Scarecrow-"

"And unmistakable fear-"

"Shut up!" Falcone dropped his cigar, and it fell to the floor with a soft thud. "Tie him up!" he barked, and two men went forward to Crane. He didn't struggle as they cuffed his hands behind his back. They grabbed Beth, and she decided to mirror Jonathan's calm attitude.

"What do we do with the kid, boss?" one man asked. Falcone was descending some iron steps.

"Drop her off on the street, or somethin'. I don't give a shit. Just let her watch what we do with her colleague. It'll be a valuable lesson about who not to mess with in Gotham." he said when he reached the cement floor. He walked up to Jonathan and smirked. "Think I'm scared of you, huh?" he asked. Before Jonathan could answer, Falcone punched him hard in the stomach. Jonathan hunched over, and coughed.

"Ugh, really..." he muttered, and Falcone punched him again, only in the face. The old man kept beating on Jonathan for a few minutes more, Jonathan not giving much response. Beth was crying silently.

When Falcone stepped back finally, he was rubbing his red knuckles. Jonathan was sitting on his knees, swaying slighty. "I might have enjoyed that a little more than you did." Falcone said with a smile. Jonathan, with blood running from his brow, nose and lip, looked lazily up at the man.

"Luckily for you I'm not a masochist." he said, and laughed. His glasses had been knocked off a while ago, and they lay broken on the ground. "Amazing really, how something like handcuffs can give someone such a false sense of security. Tell me, would you have come at me like you did if I wasn't cuffed? What would you ever do If I was suddenly free from these?" he asked. Falcone curled his lip.

"What bullshit are you-"

"You would probably be running as quick as you could from me, wouldn't you, Carmine?" Jonathan asked. That earned a kick in the ribs from one of the men. Jonathan rolled his head to stare hard at the assaulter. "Did I give you permission to do that?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. The man began to shake, and he stepped back. Satisfied, Jonathan went back to looking casually at Falcone.

"Scarecrow...Scarecrow..."

"Yes?"

"You know what's really good for getting rid of scarecrows? Fire..." Falcone said, and snapped his fingers. One of the men ran off for a moment, then returned with a gas can. Falcone took it, and poured a ring around Jonathan. He dropped the gas can when he was done, and he reached in his pocket for a lighter. Beth glanced at the gas can. The contents that leaked from it ran long, thin lines to a couple of crates. Beth looked at the crates, and gawked. Printed on them was the word 'EXPLOSIVES'. She looked over at Falcone, who held the lighter, lit, in the air.

"Don't do that! The gas-mmph!" a hand covered her mouth before she could continue.

"Shut up, kid!" The man holding her said.

"She's just worried about her buddy here being burnt to cinders." Falcone said, and smiled. "Too bad. Maybe I'll take her in. She can be my little toy.." he dropped the lighter, and it hit the gas, lighting the ring around Jonathan instantly. He ducked a little at the heat of the flames, but otherwise didn't move. They never hit him, and Falcone cursed.

"Next time you should pour the gas on me. It might be more effective." Jonathan said, enjoying the lividity on Falcone's face. "Oh, and you might want to take a look over at what my assistant was trying to warn you about earlier." Falcone looked at Beth, who was pointing wildly at the crates, that were now lit. His eyes widened.

"Son of a-" he was cut short by Jonathan, who had jumped from the ring and punched him. His cuffs were gone, and the bottom of his pant leg was on fire. The men pointed their guns at him, and he glared at them.

"There is only about three minutes left before that fire reaches the contents of those crates, and you're _still_ here?" he asked. The men hesitated.

"Fuck this, I'm gone." One said. He dropped his gun and ran for it, soon followed by the other men.

"You bastards!" Falcone called, his voice panicked. He tried to run to, but Jonathan knocked him to the ground.

"Now now, let's see here..." Jonathan muttered. He smacked the fire on his pant leg until it was out, then loomed over Falcone, a manic smile on his face. "It seems I'm relieved of those cuffs. Really, you should have checked my sleeves. I have so many useful things hiding in them." he said, and kicked Falcone hard in the gut. "Now, are you going to be me now? Are you going to try?" he shouted. Falcone cringed.

"Please...please don't..." he cried, and Jonathan sneered.

"Fucking coward. I can't stand your kind. Sitting high and mighty on top of your monopoly of wealth and popularity, thinking nothing will happen to you, while the common sit on the dirtied ground while being judged, beaten, and looked down upon." Jonathan grabbed the front of Falcone's shirt and lifted him slightly. "How does it feel, being in the state your in..." he whispered, and punched Falcone, a grin splayed on his face.

Beth ran up after he got a few more hits in, and she grabbed his shirt.

"Jonathan, let's go!" she yelled at him. He kept punching. She ran in front of him and slapped him across the face. He stopped, and his glare shot to her.

"You dare-"

"Yell at me later! We need to get out of here!" she shouted. Jonathan's eyes widened, suddenly aware of where he was again, and dropped Falcone.

"Right, forgive me." he said, and walked quickly with Beth from Falcone's limp body. There was a white van near the exit, and they got into it. Thankfully the keys were in the ignition, and Jonathan quickly started it and pulled out of the warehouse. They had reached the end of the road when the explosion happened, sending ignited objects all over. The van swerved, but kept going. Jonathan floored the gas pedal.

"Why so fast..." Beth asked warily, grabbing the handle on the roof.

"That explosion is going to be investigated in a matter of minutes by G.C.P.D., and the Batman will only get here sooner. We need to get out of here, quickly."

"What does Batman drive?"

"I have no damned clue. It looks like a black tank of sorts-"

"Like that one?" Beth asked, pointing in the rear view mirror. Jonathan looked at it, and smirked at the oncoming vehicle.

"Exactly like that one..." he muttered, and sharply turned the next corner. The Batmobile kept going straight, and disappeared from their sight.

"Well..."Beth said, settling back down. "That was easy."

"He'll be back shortly."

"How do we get away from him?"

"I don't think we will."

"What'll happen to us?"

"I'll be back in Arkham, and you will most likely be checked in as well."

"What are all of those boxes in the back?" Beth asked, looking to the back of the van. There were a number of boxes of assorted sizes.

"I don't know. Check them out, will you? I might be able to sell them." Jonathan said. He turned sharply again, and cars whizzed by them, missing the van by inches.

"Just don't do that again." Beth mumbled, and climbed to the back. She found the largest box, and undid the clasps keeping it shut. She opened it. "What is this thing?" she asked.

"I can't see it." Jonathan said.

"Wait, there's a label next to it. It says, 'M-160 Rocket Launcher'-"

"Close that case, Bethany-"

"What's this at the end?"

"Close it-"

"I think it's loaded-"

"_Close the damn case_!"

"Okay, okay." Beth closed the case and redid the clasps. Jonathan sighed and tightened his grip on the wheel.

"At least we know what kind of goods we're carrying with us..." he muttered. Beth nodded and looked out the windows of the back doors of the van. Her eyes widened.

"Jonathan, he's back!" she yelled. Jonathan cursed, wishing the van would go faster. The Batmobile reached them and slammed hard into the back of the van, jolting it forward and making Beth fall. "Ow, ow, ow..." she said, and sat up. The Batmobile slammed into them again, and she hit the back of Jonathan's seat.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Fine. My brain is just spinning around!" she said, rubbing the back of her head. Something hit one of the doors with a solid thud, and a few seconds later, the doors blew apart. Beth screamed, and Jonathan swerved on the road. Some of the boxes fell from the back of the van and into the street. Beth stared at the Batmobile. She could see the dim outline of a figure inside...

The Batmobile slammed them again, and Beth cursed.

"Dammit." she said, and looked to the box with the rocket launcher. She glanced back at the Batmobile, and sighed before lifting her hood over her head and grabbing the box.

"What are you doing?" Jonathan asked. She didn't answer, and just opened the box up to the weapon.

"This is going to be heavy." she muttered, and hoisted the launcher painfully into her arms. She didn't know how to aim one of these things, but it didn't look like it needed much precision for close targets. She found the trigger, and aimed as best she could at the Batmobile. The hulking vehicle suddenly slowed, and she smirked as she imagined what this guy must be thinking before pulling the trigger. The rocket hissed as it whizzed from the launcher towards the Batmobile, and the recoil sent Beth back again.

An explosion.

The sound of horns and crashing metal.

Beth lifted her hood from her eyes to see what she did. The full front of the Batmobile was destroyed, and the rest was on fire. Cars near it were crashed and burning, while people ran for their lives. She looked down at the launcher in her lap.

"Whoa..." was all she said.

Jonathan was determined to keep the expression of utter shock and surprise at her actions from crossing his face.

"What the hell was that?" he asked.

"_That_..." Bethany said. "Was me...kicking Batman's rodent ass _with a rocket launcher_!" She finished with a shout. She pushed the weapon off her lap and stared at her hands. "I'm _reeeally_ starting to like this whole villain thing..." she said.

"Yes, well, it's not all dangerous weapons conveniently being there and the villain getting away, Bethany." Jonathan said, still slightly in shock. He was trying to figure out how he should feel about what she had just done. Bethany scoffed from behind him.

"I don't care. All that matters is my first time out with my boss is going awesome so far." she said. Jonathan raised a brow at the word 'boss'.

"If I'm your boss, then you would have to follow my orders, and I don't remember ordering my twelve year old charge to _shoot a rocket launcher_!" he said, finally deciding to go with being angry at her actions. Beth jumped at his words.

"Oh, sorry. I wasn't thinking. I just wanted to get away from him, and it was sitting there, so...I used it..." she said, and climbed back into her seat. "Hey, if I'm working for you now, does that mean I get an allowance at the end of the week?" she asked.

Jonathan sighed.

...

Author's Note: Yes, the rocket launcher was cheezy, but I just wanted her to shoot something enormous and awesome. Hope you liked the chapter. ;D


	7. Bethany Is Maturing, To Jon's Dismay

"This is so stupid."

"Get over it."

"Jonathan, I'm feeling fine."

"Even so, I don't want you breaking down later."

"But I won't-"

"_Bethany._"

"Jeez, fine..."

Jonathan stared hard at Beth before going on with her mental evaluation. It was the morning after their run-in with Batman, and they sat in the living room, Beth in the poofy chair, and Jonathan on the couch. Beth really was fine, and remained un-phased by her actions and the events from last night. Though he wouldn't admit, Jonathan was a bit worried by that. A child who nearly died in an explosion then later shot a rocket launcher in public, and she was feeling just fine. That was just a little unnerving, in the doctor's book.

"Alright, we'll start with something simple. I'll tell you a word, and you'll tell me the first word that comes to your mind after hearing it." he said. Beth rolled her eyes and leaned back in her seat.

"Shoot me."

"Maybe later..." he muttered, and cleared his throat before beginning. "Dog."

"I dunno, cat?"

"Right."

"Left."

"Blue."

"Red."

"Dull."

"Jonathan." Jonathan shot a look at Beth's smug expression.

"Sharp."

"Knife."

"Interesting."

"Boring."

"No, your answer."

"Yes, my question."

"Quiet."

"Loud."

Jonathan was about to snap when the door burst open. He and Beth looked to see Micheal walk in quickly and close the door behind him. His eyes landed on Beth.

"You." he said.

"Me." she replied. He scrunched his eyes in confusion.

"What?"

"How?" she said, smiling at his agitation. Jonathan reached over and smacked the back of her head. Still grinning, she rubbed the sore spot. He shook his head and looked at Micheal.

"What is it? This place can't be attracting attention, and here you are barging in like the apocalypse itself were at your damned heels..." he said. Micheal nodded and extracted a paper from his jacket. He sucked his teeth as he handed it to Jonathan.

"Front page in bold, boss. Can't miss it." he said. Jonathan unfolded the paper and read the headlines. His jaw dropped. His gaze whizzed back to Micheal.

"You can't be serious..." he murmured. Micheal ran his fingers through his hair and began to pace.

"Definitely more serious than what happened to John last night, boss." he said. Beth snickered at the memory. After she and Jonathan had finally escaped the Batman, they ditched the van at one of the hang-outs where some of Jonathan's men stayed. After that he had ordered that the men track down both Micheal and John, then bring them there. An hour later, the two were being searched for bugs.

It turned out Penguin was right, and a tiny little round gadget was found in John's thick hair. He was then tied down and every inch of his body was shaved before he was given a small dose of fear toxin. Beth quickly learned he was afraid of mice, and she resolved to buy a fake one as soon as possible...

Now she looked at Jonathan in great interest. Anything that shocked him this badly was worth finding out about. She leaned over to take the paper.

"What's so crazy, Jonathan?" she asked as she pulled the paper away and looked at it. Her interest turned to surprise quickly. The front page had a fuzzy picture of the van Jonathan drove last night, the back doors gone and showing a girl dressed in red pointing a rocket launcher at a black vehicle. The print read, 'SCARECROW RUNNING WITH RED RIDING HOOD!' Beth sputtered, then began to laugh.

"There is nothing funny about this." Jonathan said.

"But it is!" she said, but forced herself to calm down. Micheal had his phone out, and appeared to be searching something.

"What are you doing?" Jonathan asked. Micheal handed the phone to him.

"Hit the play button." he said. Jonathan did, and a news report came on. A red-headed woman showed, and she tossed back her hair before giving the report.

'Pandemonium at downtown Gotham tonight as the Batman chased, who we have found to be former Dr. Jonathan Crane, also known as Scarecrow, dangerously down our streets. Just when we thought Gotham's Dark Knight had him in his grasp, we were shocked to find that his very own Batmobile was brought to a deadly halt by a young girl wielding a _rocket launcher._ We've yet to find out _who_ exactly this child is, but based on her red outfit and hood, the people of Gotham have quickly dubbed her 'Red Riding Hood'. Red Riding Hood has been guessed to be running with the Scarecrow, and is to be considered mentally unstable, armed, and dangerous. We don't know yet whether or not this child is a new part of the infamous 'Rogue Gallery', a group which contains Gotham's most dangerous. If anyone has any idea of who Red Riding Hood may be, please call the Gotham City Police Department at this number: 55-'

Jonathan pressed the end button on Micheal's phone and tossed it on the table. He hid his face in his hands, and took a deep breath.

"I need a drink..." he muttered.

"I need a Red Riding Hood costume." Beth said.

"I don't think so." he said to her. She pouted.

"Why not? I think it's cool-"

"Cool..." Jonathan interrupted. His expression was stony. "If you think that constantly being chased by a man in a bat costume, and spending time in a damned cell when you aren't hiding in a gutter on the streets is, as you say, _cool_, then _yes_, this_ entire _situation is just _that._.._.cool..._"

"Oh..." Beth said. "I didn't think of that."

"Of course not; you're a child with an incredibly low maturity level."

"Aw, you noticed." she said cutely, and twirled her short hair around her finger.

"Quit being dumb, or else..." he said. Beth smirked and jumped up from the chair. She walked over to Jonathan, sat down, and hugged him around his neck. Micheal froze, and Jonathan only muttered something they couldn't quite hear.

"Please forgive me." she asked sweetly.

"Get off of me."

"I'll take that as a yes." she said, and backed off of him.

"You two are gettin' pretty close..." Micheal said. Jonathan blinked at him.

"Implying?" he asked.

"Nothing. I need to be going. I'll drop by later to check in." Micheal said, and left quickly. Beth huffed at Jonathan.

"Must you scare everyone every moment of every day and night?" she asked.

"It's my job." he answered, and stood to leave for his room. "Besides, I already have to deal with two people not indicating any fear in me. I almost shudder at the thought of others following their example." he walked from the living room, leaving Beth alone to think on what he had said.

"That guy is so obsessed..." she muttered thoughtfully, and shrugged before pacing for the rest of the day about the broken down place she was beginning to warily feel comfortable calling 'home'.

...

"Psst..."

"..."

"Psssst..."

"..."

Bethany sighed and tiptoed closer to Jonathan's sleeping figure as he turned away from the new noise that she created. She leaned over the bed.

"_Pssst,_ Jonathan..." she whispered. Still, nothing. She huffed once in silent annoyance at his heavy sleeping, and looked over to his dresser and found a pair of rolled up socks. Knowing not to directly touch a sleeping crazy while he's sleeping (something Jonathan had mentioned to her while teaching her basic psychology), she took the socks and tossed them lightly at his head. As soon as they bounced off his forehead, he sat up, brandishing a knife that must have come from under his pillow. He looked wildly around for some intruder, and, when his alert gaze landed on Bethany in her black pajamas, he heaved a great sigh and lowered the knife.

"What...the _hell_...are you doing disturbing me? My _one_ night I get to sleep and here you are-"

"I-I'm sorry, but..." she said meekly. Jonathan scrunched his tired brow at her weak voice. He focused on her figure, and noticed in the dark that she was gripping her arms, a worried and panicked expression written on her face. He reached over and turned on his lamp. The light flooded over her features, intensifying them even further. Her face was pale, and she was trembling.

"Bethany..." he dropped the knife and got up from the bed, not caring that he was only wearing sweatpants. He knelt down and touched her forehead lightly in reassurance. She was sweating. "What happened?"

"I...I don't know..." she said, and tears welled in her already red eyes. "Jonathan, I'm scared."

"What is it? Tell me, Bethany, now." he said, with a hint of stern that indicated that he wouldn't allow any beating around the bush. Bethany gulped as he rested his hands on her shoulders, and averted her eyes as she answered him.

"I-I'm bleeding..." she muttered, so Jonathan could barely hear, but still catch it. His eyes widened and he instantly began searching her.

"Where? What happened, did you hurt yourself?" he asked, hoping the damage wasn't as ominous as she was acting it out to be. She shook her head. "Bethany, where are you bleeding?" he asked again urgently.

"Down...there_._..." she mumbled. Jonathan didn't understand.

"What?" he asked. She clenched her jaw.

"There...you know..._there._.." she said slowly, blushing furiously.

"Bethany, I don't under-" he stopped, looking as her eyes glanced downward. He looked down as well. His jaw dropped as realization filled his mind, numbing it intensely. "Uh..." was his response. He stood, looking away from her, walked over to the wall...

...and smacked his forehead intentionally against it. Bethany jumped at this.

"What, Jonathan what's going on?" she asked, her voice shaky. He hit the wall again, his face fire red.

"Why, God you rat bastard, _why_?" he muttered weakly. Bethany was becoming delirious in her utter confusion.

"Jonathan, am I going to die?" she asked, tears falling down her face. Jonathan's eyes snapped open and he spun around to face her. Fear was very apparent on her young face, and for some odd reason, he found he didn't like that. He shook his head quickly and walked back over to her.

"No, you won't die, Bethany." he said.

"Then why did you act like that just now?" she asked. He gave a faint smile.

"Because," he said, "It might be me who dies because of this..." he noted her still confused face, and sighed. "Do you know _anything_ about...what you're...going through, er, currently?" he asked. Bethany shook her head wildly, and he groaned, suddenly feeling rather tired. He went to the dresser, opened a drawer, and pulled out a plain white shirt. He pulled it on and looked for the socks she'd hit him with earlier. "I need to go out for a moment, I'll be back shortly-"

"Where are you going?" she asked quickly.

"To the nearest drug store to pick up some...things...for you..."

"What things? Medicine? Do I have a _disease_?!" she asked, and Jonathan nearly snorted.

"Many religious people think so." he muttered under his breath, and retrieved the socks. As he put them on, he cast her a look. "Okay, just know for now that what you are...going...through, is completely normal. Every young lady goes through this at some point, sadly. Just wait here momentarily until I return with the necessary materials for you." he said, knowing his words sounded absurd, but was grateful that she had at least calmed down a bit, and she followed him out to the living room where he placed on his shoes and a jacket.

"Be back soon, please." she said when he was at the door. He nodded.

"I'll do my best to explain further about your condition when I get back, so quit panicking." he said, and walked out into the night air, feeling much, much more tired.

...

"Ugh..." he stared at the various packages of ladies toiletries, the sound of fifties music from the drugstore intercom adding to the headache that was slowly building. He felt awkward. Out of place. Utterly embarrassed, even though he was the only person here besides the young clerk who was perched behind the cash register.

He had no idea what he was doing.

Jonathan huffed and scratched his head, his unbrushed hair occasionally falling annoyingly in front of his face. He brushed it away for the millionth time, his temper shortening as time ticked by. Why were there so many brands of this ridiculous..._stuff_?

"Honestly, they couldn't just pick one type and be happy with it?" he muttered bitterly at the assorted, multicolored brands. He began to question how he ended up like this. How had he, the Master of Fear, end up reduced to_ this,_ sitting tiredly in confusion over such a matter that shouldn't even be his concern? "This is _complete _bullshi-"

"Yo, do you need any help over here?" a voice rang out behind him. He blinked, and turned to see the clerk, who looked back with a bemused grin from just a few feet away. She walked forward, smacking some gum. He noted her attire; a torn-up black top with the name "Rob Zombie" written in acid green on the front and a purple miniskirt with paint slatter all over it. His brow raised. Women today; so ridiculous. "Well, do you need help, bro?" she asked. He decided to bite his tongue at her comment, and nodded in mild appreciation at her.

"Yes, that would be appreciated greatly." he said. She nodded and looked at the products.

"So, does she have a preferred type?" she asked. He frowned, not understanding. She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Your girlfriend, does she have a preference?" she asked. Jonathan shook his head.

"Not a girlfriend." he said. She looked at him.

"Kid of yours?" she asked.

"More like kid sister..." he said with half-truth. He couldn't consider her to be his child at all. But sister could work.

"_Ah_, so is this, like, her first time?" she asked. Jonathan swallowed, and nodded. The clerk nodded. "Okay, then you're going to need a basket to put this all in." she said, and left him to retrieve a basket. Once she had one, she pulled him along the shelves , placing various things in the basket and explaining to him what they were used for. Jonathan was thankful for his expert memory, else he wouldn't have remembered half the things she was saying. Again, he felt embarrassed, being carted around like a child by some teen. So degrading.

"Aaaaaand." she said after ten minutes of explanations, she brought him over to the candy isle. She picked up two bars of Hershey's chocolate. "This is the most important factor, my sad friend." she said.

"Really..." Jonathan said flatly at the candy bars. How the hell did something like candy have any effect.

"Yup. It will be your salvation from a crazed little sister. If she goes rage-mode, simply equip her with this and the beast will back off, leaving your face attached." she said, and brought the basket to the counter for check-out. Jonathan let the words 'rage-mode' and 'beast' lace through his mind. Would that really happen?

The clerk smirked at his obvious self-pity as she rang up the price.

"That'll be twenty dollars and sixty-five cents." she said. He handed over the money, and gathered the bags. As he walked to the door, she locked up the register and turned to gather her things to finally leave for the night. As she picked up her bag, she noticed a picture on the back wall. It was a WANTED poster, with the name Jonathan Crane written on it in bold. Above was his mugshot.

She gawked, remembering the guy that just left.

"Shit..." she muttered. Her hand went for the phone quickly, but she froze. After a moment of critical thinking, she slowly released the phone and stepped back to view the mugshot again. She compared his expression in the photo, one of superiority and indifference, to the one he wore tonight, one of tiredness and grueling awkwardness and thought of just his whole sad situation. She tsked at the photo and picked up her bag to leave.

"At this point, sending him to prison would only be merciful." she said, smiling. "Whoever this _sister_ is, she's giving him enough hell."

...

Beth stepped out of the bathroom in a new set of blue pajamas. It had taken her a few minutes to figure out the products Jonathan had brought for her, but she'd pretty much figured it out, and she was feeling much better. She walked to the living room where Jonathan sat in the couch, nodding off. She poked his arm, and he groaned before opening his eyes sadly to look up at her.

"Sleeping on the couch is back for your back." she said, and pulled him up from the couch to usher him to his room. He stumbled along willingly, and Beth smiled at how odd he was acting. Normally he was all formal, but when the Doctor was tired, he probably wouldn't be able to tell left from right even if he really tried to. They reached his room, and he slumped onto the mattress. Beth pull the covers over him. "Thanks for helping me out, Doc." she said. He grunted, but she remained next to him. Feeling her gaze, he cracked his eyes open to see her face.

"What is it now?" he groaned.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" she asked.

"What?! Why?"

"Uhm. While you were gone, my night-light went out, and it's dark in my room." she said.

"It's dark in here, to." he said. She nodded.

"Yeah, but _you're_ here." she said. Jonathan was about to question her words, but his heavy eyes kept him from doing so. He sighed heavily.

"Alright, _alright,_ just don't be a nuisan-" he stopped as she jumped quickly into the bed and under the covers. She squirmed around until she was comfortable, and became still.

"Thanks Jonathan, g'night." she said.

"...yeah..."

...

Author's Note: Helloooooooooooooooo, peoples! My most sincerest and humble apologies for not updating! School SUX! ANYWAY! Homework has dropped recently, and I'm taking advantage of that FULLY. So, more chapter SHOULD pop up this week, let's cross our fingers! Hope you enjoyed! HAD to do that to Jonathan (SORRY, Jon)


	8. Bethany Is Leaving, For A While

Jonathan woke the next day to a tangle of black hair in his face. In tired confusion, he looked down to see Beth huddled up close to him, sleeping. It took a moment for the gears in his head to click and remind him of the previous night.

"Oh..." he muttered, when he finally made sense of the situation. He noticed his arm was draped over her, and he frowned. How the hell did that happen in the night? She was at least a foot away from him when they fell asleep. "Absolutely ridicul-"

"Mm..." Jonathan froze when Beth made the small noise and stirred slightly, moving closer to him and pressing her face against his chest. When she was still again, he relaxed a bit. He looked down at her again in slight wonder, remembering her reason for being here.

_"While you were gone, my night-light went out, and it's dark in my room."_

_"It's dark in here, to..." _

_"Yeah, but _you're _here." _

He rolled his eyes at that. Any other person in Gotham would be terrified to be anywhere near the Scarecrow, especially in a dark room, and here was this odd child depending on him to keep the bogeymen at bay. Complete nonsense.

"You're a strange person, miss Niles..." he said quietly.

"Says the mad-man sleeping with a little kid..." came a new, high pitched voice. Jonathan went rigid. He turned his head to see a young blonde in a white top and purple short-shorts on looking down sweetly at him. She blew a large pink bubble with the gum she chewed, and it popped, making Beth stir once again.

"Hmwuh...?" Beth muttered when she woke up. Her face was pressed against something that seemed to have a very rapid heart-beat.

"And I thought only Hat-Guy was into little kiddies." said Harley to Jonathan as Beth sat up, rubbing her eyes and looking around in slight confusion.

"Harleen Quinzel..." Jonathan said. His voice was low, and unmistakably angry. Beth watched him sit up, a death glare on his face as he stared at Harley. The clown girl bowed low to him.

"In the flesh." she said brightly. Jonathan couldn't believe it. This woman, of all people, was in his bedroom, and she had seen everything. She'd tell everyone. He'd be a laughing stock. He felt his face become red.

"Wuzz goin' on?" Beth asked tiredly, and yawned. She eyed Harley, and jumped. "Whozzat!?" she asked. Harley giggled.

"It's me, sweet cheeks! Harley!" she said. Beth gulped; not _this_ woman...

"What the_ hell _are you doing here, Dr. Quinzel?!" Jonathan asked loudly, making it necessary for Beth to cover her ears. Harley held up her hands in reassurance.

"Just here to pass some information, Dr. Crane." she said with a sheepish smile.

"What bloody information could possibly be so important that you barge into my bedroom-"

"The cops are crawlin' all over The Narrows lookin' for _her_." she interrupted, gesturing to Beth, who was now very much awake. Jonathan felt like he had just fallen into iced water. The G.C.P.D., those complete ignorant fools, were getting closer.

"Wh-"

"When I found out, I decided to come warn ya. That little cutie is too adorable to go to Arkham yet." Harley said, and winked at Beth.

"Are they nearby?" Jonathan asked after a moment. Harley shook her head.

"Nope. The Narrows is a big place, full of a bunch of people who aren't to fond of coppers. They're just skirting the outside for now. But it'll only be a matter of time before they start pokin' their big ol' noses a little deeper. You guys should probably keep inside for a while. The Bat might be searching around here already." she said. Jonathan nodded at this, and pulled the covers off of himself to stand.

"I need to contact Michael...dammit..." he stomped past Harley and out of the room, leaving her and Beth alone together. Beth felt a bit awkward as a short silence ensued.

"So, you sleep with the Doc, huh?" Harley said after a minute, and she plopped down next to Beth, who inched away just a tad from her before answering.

"Not regularly. My night-light went out, so he let me stay here for the night." she said. Harley's eyes widened.

"He's capable of such compassion? Wait 'till I tell Ivy..." she said, a mischievous smile spreading across her face that made Beth feel a bit wary.

Jonathan pinched the brim of his nose repeatedly as he waited for Michael to answer the phone. He was in the living room, pacing, planning, hyperventilating.

"Yes, boss?" Michael's voice finally said.

"Listen carefully..." Jonathan said. "I need you to get into contact with an associate of mine as soon as humanly possible."

"Alright...what happened?"

"I need to stash something away for a little while." Jonathan answered, glancing toward his bedroom.

"What's the name you're looking for?"

"It's-"

A very loud thump, followed by shouting drew Jonathan's attention back to his bedroom. He clicked end on the phone and raced up the stairs before slamming open his door, half expecting a certain caped crusader to be intruding.

Instead he saw two girls wrestling over a cellphone on the floor.

"Hey, you little rugrat, get offa my phone!" Harley shouted. Beth grunted, and wrapped her fingers around the pink and green cellphone.

"Delete that picture!"

"Nope nope nope!"

"What the _hell _are you idiots doing?!" Jonathan yelled, making them both freeze in their places. They looked up at his expression of lividity. "We are supposed to be laying low, and here you two are causing a scene. Yell a little louder, the G.C.P.D. probably didn't quite hear you!" he said.

"Harley has a picture of us sleeping on her phone!" Beth said quickly. "She's gonna send it to everybody-mmph!" Harley covered her mouth with her hand.

"Don't listen, she's nuts!" she said. Beth yanked the phone away and threw it to Jonathan. He caught it, and looked at the screen. Indeed, there was a picture of the sleeping pair. His eyes hooded.

"You _do _know what I would have done to you if this got out, Harley..." he said, and deleted the picture.

"Aw, it woulda been worth it!" Harley said, and sat up from the floor. She rustled Beth's already tangled hair. "She's a fighter. She was so bent on keeping me from embarrassing the crap outta you that she tackled me! Look!" Harley held up her arm to show Jonathan a tooth imprint. "She bit me, the little hyena!" Jonathan rolled his eyes and began to walk out of the room after tossing Harley back her phone.

"She's merely doing her job. I expect nothing less. Now, I'll need to ask you to leave, Harleen. You're too loud, and we need to keep silent for a few days. With you here, that will prove to be more than difficult." he said.

"Alright, alright. I'm gone. See ya, kiddo!" Harley waved to Beth before running ahead of Jonathan out of the room. Beth sighed, and scratched her head. She'd only been up for fifteen minutes and she was already worn for the day.

...

The rest of the day was rather dull, compared to the events of that morning. Beth sat around, keeping silent as Jonathan made various phonecalls that often ended with him cursing loudly. She remembered what Harley said about the police searching for her. She bit her lip, wondering whether or not that was the reason for Jonathan's surly mood.

"Is it really so _fucking impossible _to contact _one goddamned individual_!?" Jonathan finally shouted after hours of calls. He threw the phone at the couch and kicked the table. It fell over on its side, and Beth clenched her jaw to keep from shaking. So much shouting...

"Who are you trying to call?" she asked.

"None of your concern for now. _Quiet_." he snapped, and began to pace for the fifth time that day.

After what seemed like ages, the phone rang, and Bethany swore Jonathan practically pounced on the phone before answering it.

"Yes?" he asked impatiently.

"I have a connection, boss. They seem impatient..." Michael said from the other end of the line.

"Just put them on, dammit..." Jonathan said, and sat roughly down on the couch next to Beth. She watched intently as he stared at the floor, witing to be transferred to speak with some unknown person.

"Jon-"

"Good day, I request to speak with your employer." he said, holding up his hand to silence Beth. She bit her tongue, and focused her eyes on the overturned table as he continued to speak. "Why? Because we used to work together. Other than that information, you need to know nothing...I'd rather not...fine, it's Jonathan Crane...finally." Jonathan shook his head at whoever he was speaking to in frustration. "Goddamned interns are all the same..." he muttered. Beth cracked a smile at that.

He suddenly sat up, all annoyance gone from his face as a new voice spoke to him on the phone. Beth wondered who that could possibly be to make him act like that. It creeped her out.

"Yes, yes, hello..." Jonathan said, his tone businesslike and void of emotion. "I've been fine, no thanks to your organization...no, of course not...Why? You seem to owe me a sum of money, that I have yet to see any of...No, that's fine. Don't condescend me. No, I'd rather trade that sum for a small favor...yes...nothing too serious...I need to have something taken care of for a while...however long it takes...a girl..."

Beth's eyes snapped up to Jonathan then, and he glanced once at her before speaking again. "Yes, a girl. She's a big deal in this city right now, and she needs to be hidden until the madness dies down..."

"Jonathan-" Beth tried to speak to him, but he ignored her.

"Young, only twelve..."

"Jonathan, I-"

"She's proven useful to me, nothing more-"

"_Jonathan!_" Beth shouted at him this time, and snatched the phone from him before he could speak again. He glared at her dangerously.

"I'll give you one chance to give me that phone,Miss Niles..." he whispered. She stared at him for a moment before finally deciding to give him back the phone. He ripped it from her and brought it back to his ear. "Hello?" he asked, and sighed when someone answered.

Bethany shook her head angrily and cast her gaze to her lap. Her hands were clenched into fists, her vision clouded by tears.

"Yes, that was her...no, not normally. She's usually manageable..."

Manageable...

Bethany gripped her shirt. She was manageable. Was that all? Of course it was, how could she expect to be anything otherwise? This was how it was supposed to be. So why did she feel so put out at his description...manageable...

"When can she be picked up...tomorrow night, perfect. Meet me at the docks." Jonathan clicked the end button and set the phone down. He massaged his forehead with the tips of his fingers, keeping quiet as the seconds ticked on.

He finally looked at Bethany. Tears streaked down her face.

"You'll be leaving tomorrow night for a while. You should pack your things either tonight or tomorrow morning."

"Why do I have to go?" she asked.

"Keeping you hidden during this time will only distract me from my work. I can't have that, so you'll be put in the care of an old acquaintance of mine for the time being."

"How long is 'the time being'?" her voice was demanding. His eyes narrowed at her.

"However long it takes for this search to die down. But, who knows, perhaps you should stay a little longer to learn some proper discipline."

"God knows I could always be a little more manageable." she said bitterly, and stood.

"Quit acting like such a problematic child. It doesn't suit you." Jonathan said flatly to her.

"You quit acting like such an ass!"

"You dare speak to me in such a way again, and you'll not like the consequences. I haven't worked this hard all my life to be berated by an ignorant child who doesn't know better-"

"You're one to talk! If you _knew better_, then you would know you were _completely insane-_"

_*SLAP* _

The force of Jonathan's hand spun Bethany around and nearly made her fall over the table. She righted herself, pushing back the stinging pain and forcing herself to keep from crying any tears in front of him. He looked down at her, his lip curled in indifference.

"You of all people should not be pointing fingers, Miss Niles...You _will_ leave tomorrow night, no arguments. Have I made myself perfectly clear?" his last words were slow, threatening. Bethany wasn't phased.

"What if I run away?" she asked. Jonathan pointed to the door.

"No need, you're welcome to leave at any moment in time. I recall saying something similar to you on your first day here..." he replied. As a response, Bethany walked quickly to the stairs to her room, leaving Jonathan more than irritated. After hearing her door slam, he swept his hair back and sighed.

"Foolish, foolish..." he muttered, partially to her, partially to himself. He picked up the phone again and dialed Michael's number.

"Yeah, boss?" said the gruff voice.

"Be here tomorrow before dark. We have an errand to run." Jonathan said.

"Alright, boss. But hey, are you alright? You sound off."

"I'm fine. Just tired." he said, and hung up. "Dammit..."

...

Bethany punched her pillow repeatedly until it was a mass of lumps. When she stopped, she was panting, rage in her eyes.

"Talking to me like that..." she hissed. "Smacking me, threatening me...who does he think he is?" an image of her stepfather crossed her mind, and she blinked, her anger retreating, replaced by shock in herself.

How could she think that?

She clenched her pillow in her hands, trying to allow her heartbeat to return to normal. Jonathan was good to her, always. He was only angry tonight.

"No, not angry..." she said. She'd seen him angry, and if he was, then he was doing a hell of a job hiding it. She cursed, thinking back on how she acted. She was confused, and became rash before he could explain. She still didn't know what was going on. "First last night, and now _this_..." After a second of thinking, she hoisted herself from her bed and walked to the door to leave the room.

...

"I don't want to leave, you know." was her first words to him when she reached the living room. He scoffed from the couch.

"What happened to running off?" he asked.

"I don't want to do that either. I was mad."

"You were throwing a tantrum."

"You were being an ass. You still are, kind of."

"You're still being an ignorant child."

"Then I guess we're even." she replied, and walked over to him. She rested her hand on his shoulder. He didn't look at her. "I don't want to go, but I will if that makes it easier for you."

"Come to your senses?"

"Hey, it wasn't my fault I got angry, you just suddenly said 'hey, you're going away tomorrow for an unknown period of time with some guy I work with!' It freaked me out, Jonathan!" she said.

"I suppose I was slightly at fault, not explaining right away."

"You don't apologize much, do you?" she asked.

"Never."

"I guess I'll just have to take what you just said then."

"I guess." he said. Beth leaned lightly against him.

"Who am I going to be staying with, Jonathan?" she asked. Jonathan chewed at the inside of his mouth for a moment.

"I don't suppose..." he said. "You would know a man by the name of Ra's Al Ghul..."


	9. Bethany Is Gone

"Wait, hold it!"

"Bethany, this is the third time-"

"Yeah, I know! I'm just forgetful, okay?!"

Bethany dropped her bags and raced back toward the stairs to her bedroom. This was the third time she'd halted Jonathan and Michael at the door for forgetting one of her belongings. Though she really was being forgetful, she partially believed in the back of her mind that she merely wanted to prolong her last moments in this place. She grabbed the Grim's Fairytales book from the old nightstand, some dust getting on her white shirt, and walked swiftly back toward the living room.

"Pick up the pace, will you?" Jonathan rubbed his forehead and sighed through his nose as she walked up and picked her bags back up. He was wearing his Scarecrow outfit, and held a slim suitcase that she believed held his chemicals and mask.

"Sorry, didn't know you wanted me to leave so badly." she quipped, and opened the front door to peek outside. The cool air of coming night tickled her nose as she scanned the area for anyone suspicious. Satisfied, she opened the door fully, and brought her things to the awaiting car. She whistled at it.

Cadillac. Nice.

"Yeah, that's my beauty, alright." Michael said from behind her and opened the back door to let her in. "Her name's Darla."

"You named your car?" Beth asked in amusement. He beamed.

"Yup. A car as sexy as this deserves a sexy name."

"Darla is sexy?"

"We have our tastes."

"Quit your chit-chatting and get us going. I'd like to be early, and would very much prefer to not be _late._" Jonathan shut Beth's door before she stuck her tongue out at him playfully, and he climbed into the front passenger seat. She leaned forward.

"Hey, you should sit back here! I don't want to stare at the back of your head while we talk." she suggested. He looked at her from the rearview mirror with his brown eyes as if he were saying, 'honestly...' His rectangular glasses slipped down his nose and he adjusted them before answering her.

"Children should be seen and not heard."

"What windbag taught you that?" she retorted, crossing her arms. Michael sat himself in the car and closed his door. He turned the key, and the cadillac revved to life with a low pur. He stroked the steering wheel lovingly.

"My grandmother." Jonathan answered. Beth raised a brow at his flat tone when he mentioned the relative.

"Something tells me you weren't very close."

"Not in the least."

"You should come sit next to me and talk about it." she said brightly, and patted the seat next to her. Michael snorted and looked to see if his boss would change seats before moving forward.

"You honestly think that I, a psychiatrist, would speak about personal matters with a child like yourself?" Jonathan said. Michael shook his head, and began to shift into drive.

"Okay, let's say this," Bethany said. "If you don't move back here, I'll start making horribly annoying screeching noises, and will not stop being annoying until we reach the docks." she said. Jonathan and Michael exchanged glances, and Beth smiled as they appeared to think it over. Jonathan finally huffed and cursed under his breath before roughly opening the door and climbing out to change seats. Once in the back seat, he slammed the door shut, and the cadillac moved forward.

"Blackmailed by a child. Degrading." he muttered. Beth giggled, and leaned against his arm.

"You know you love me."she said, and closed her eyes. She had yet to become used to keeping up at night like Jonathan was, and she found herself becoming tired as the sky darkened from light pink to dark navy. Slim he may have been, Jonathan's arm still made a good pillow.

"I thought you wanted to talk." Jonathan said, changing the subject. Beth was silent for a moment, and she furrowed her brow.

"Funny. I forgot what I wanted to say." she mumbled, and yawned. She barely heard what he said to her next, and she slipped off to a light sleep as the car drove under the orange streetlights.

...

"Did you hear me? Bethany?" Jonathan tapped the top of her head, but she didn't stir. He shook his head. "Really, to be moved back here just to become a pillow."

"At least she found a use for you, boss." Michael joked.

"Quiet."

"Of course, boss."

Jonathan scowled at his henchman from behind his glasses. From his jacket, he pulled a box of cigarettes. Placing one in his mouth, he put the box away and retrieved a small black lighter. After lighting it he cracked open the window to let the smoke escape. A rush of chill air went through the car and Beth began to shiver in her sleep. Jonathan noticed this, sighed, and flicked the fresh-lit cigarette out the window before closing it again. Beth's shivering slowly faded, and she nestled closer to him. He rolled his eyes, and caught Michael looking at him from the rearview mirror.

"_Eyes forward." _he ordered, and Michael cast a quick smile before looking forward to the road. Jonathan watched him for a moment, and, when he was sure he wouldn't look back again, he cast his gaze back down to Beth. He suddenly wondered if she would be treated alright at that frigid place, if that was even where she would be headed. Ra's Al Ghul wasn't exactly known for his expert child care.

Jonathan pondered his decision to have Ra's keep Beth hidden. He could call it off right now, but that would only leave him in the spot he was in before, without a place to hide the child. This was his best option. The only one guaranteed to work.

He eyed the outside. He could barely see the rooftops against the nearly black sky now. Paranoia began to kick in as the thought of a black-clad vigilante flashed in his mind. That was the only thing he had to worry about now. He checked his watch. It'd be another thirty minutes before they reached the docks at Gotham Harbor. Plenty of time for that masked hero to ruin everything he was working for.

"Don't..." Beth's sleeping voice slurred, bringing Jonathan's attention to her. He saw her hands clench repeatedly, and her one docile face contorted. Her lips quivered. She was having a nightmare.

"Beth-"

"Pleasenodon'tdoit...hurts..." her words ran together, and her head moved from side to side. Jonathan touched her shoulder. She winced. "Daddy, _no_!"

Her eyes shot open, red, and teary. She pushed away from Jonathan roughly and hit the other door. She was delirious. Jonathan didn't move. Michael watched them both.

"Should I pull over-"

"No, quiet. Keep driving." Jonathan said calmly. Still, he didn't move. At Arkham, when patients were woken from nightmares, it was best to keep still as they slowly adjusted to reality. Moving around would only make them tense. He kept his eyes on Beth's, each pair locked with the other. Her breathing began to slow, and her muscles began to relax. The terrified look in her wide eyes blinked, and she seemed to just now be seeing her caretaker for the first time.

"Jon...Jonathan..." she inched forward and buried her face in his tattered jacket, gripping some folds of it with her hands. He brought his arm around her and rested it on her shuddering back. She cried for many silent minutes. Finally, Jonathan cleared his throat.

"What was it that scared you?" he asked. She sniffed, and peeked up at him.

"Memories..." she whispered. "Of that night...of my stepdad...what he-" another sob cut her off, and Jonathan pressed her closer to him, his jaw set.

The rest of the drive was excruciatingly long, and quiet.

...

When they arrived to the docks, Beth was over her nightmare, and she was smiling again, even if it was only a little. Jonathan kept her from falling asleep by making her recite her times tables, and he properly scolded her when she got one wrong.

Now they were at their destination, and she sucked in the scent of low tide as she jumped out of the car. She made a face and covered her nose.

"The ocean stinks." she said in a nasal accent. Jonathan nodded once, and scanned the many small wooden docks for any sign of acquaintance or foe. All there was was the sound of the deep water hitting against the cement walls and the sight of gently rocking boats in the black water.

"He should be here soon..." he muttered.

"Jonathan, the ocean's really big..." Beth said. He saw her lean over an iron railing to peer as far out into the darkness as possible.

"Of course it is. It covers most of the world. Careful about those old railings. I very much doubt that you can swim." he said, stepping next to her. His suitcase was in his hand.

"_Cool._.. But kind of scary..." she said, referring to the cold water and looking upon it with awe.

"Bethany, while you're away, you are not allowed to be afraid, or show any fear in front of those around you. Do you understand?" he asked. Beth looked up at him, thinking over his odd words.

"Is the place I'm going to going to be scary?"

"It's where fear is created, Miss Niles. You'll need to learn to control it to get by. I had to do it, and I expect nothing less from you."

"If you can do it, then I'll be able to do it easily." she said, and looked back over the water, ignoring his sigh of irritation. "What's that over there?"she squinted her eyes and pointed at a small sliver of land poking out just a little ways from Gotham. Little white dots of light were lit all over it, just like the main part of the city. Jonathan curled his lip at it.

"Arkham Island, my home away from home..." he said in false cheer.

"You crazies get your own island?" she asked. Jonathan snorted.

"Yes, I suppose we do. If you're not careful, you might end up sharing a cell with Harley there."

"I'm not crazy."

"Not my diagnosis. Besides, if you weren't found as mentally insane, then they'd ship you to Blackgate. Though Arkham is quite irksome, I'd rather be sent there then to that hole of a prison."

"Who goes to Blackgate?"

"Men who work for us. Not insane, but still too sick to be placed in a normal prison."

"Oh..."

"You'll never be allowed near any of my workers besides Michael and John. Those are the only men I can trust around you, understood?" Jonathan said. He was very serious. Beth cracked a smile at him.

"Protective much?" she asked. Jonathan went to answer, but someone cut him off.

"Yes, you do seem quite protective, Dr. Crane..." the new voice was low, and amused. Beth and Jonathan whipped around to see a man standing there. His skin was slightly dark, and his black hair and beard had streaks of white. He wore black leather guards over his arms, legs and chest, and a katana was braced to his left hip.

"Not that any of that would be your business, Ra's." Jonathan said, sliding his glasses up his nose. The man named Ra's smirked, and looked to Beth.

"You're the one he's wanting to hide..." he stated. Beth nodded, and inched behind Jonathan to leave the man's view. Ra's quirked an eyebrow.

"Scared, is she?" he asked. Jonathan clenched his fists.

"Shy, not scared."

"Cautious, then?" Ra's asked. Ra's knelt down on one knee and beckoned Beth to come out from hiding. She looked up at Jonathan, who nodded for her to move forward. She did so, and walked slowly towards Ra's, her eyes darting from his face and hands. "Untrusting as well, I see..." Ra's said. He held out one focused her eyes on it, but didn't take it with her own. "If you would please?" he asked kindly.

Beth swallowed, and did as she was told. She rested her hand on his, and he held it firmly.

"I'm going to do everything in my power to keep you protected, my dear. But you must learn to trust me in order for me to help you, understood?" he asked.

"I'll trust you when you earn my trust, sir." she said back, hating how her quivering voice betrayed her attempts to hide her nervousness. Ra's smiled.

"Then I will do my best to do that." he said. "Go get your things, I need to speak wit your caretaker." he said. Beth nodded, and walked back to the car where Michael held her two bags. She took them.

"I'll miss you Michael. Don't get sent to that Blackgate place." she said.

"Too late, little lady. Been there, got the jumpsuit, wore it out, escaped." he said cheerfully.

"Oh, well then, don't get sent back while I'm away." she said. He winked at her.

"I'll do my best." he said. She smiled at him, and walked with her things back over to Jonathan.

"I'm ready to go..." she said. Ra's nodded and looked behind him. He waved at something in the shadows, and Beth blinked as three people in black get-up crept forward.

"Escort her to the car, I still need to speak with Dr. Crane." he said. One of the dark figures touched her shoulders to guid her. She looked over at Jonathan, and smiled.

"I'll be back before you know it, Scarecrow! Don't get too relaxed while I'm gone!" she forced the cheer in her voice, attempting to keep her mood light. Jonathan saw right through it, but let it rest. He smirked at her.

"I'll be see-"

"Look out!" Michael's strangled voice interrupted him, and they turned to see him pointing a gun in the air, searching for something. "Batman!" he yelled.

"Of course..." Jonathan said, and ripped open his suitcase and put on his awaiting mask, then extracted a handgun. One of the dark figures grabbed Beth, and leapt away from the group of armed people to one of the docks. The other figures brandished swords, ready to fight. She kept her eyes glued on the area around Jonathan to warn him if anything came after him.

She saw a flash of red and green come up behind him.

"Jonathan, behind you!" she shouted. He spun around, and shot. She heard something fall to the ground, and a child in a red and green outfit rolled into the moonlight. He was gripping his arm, and red seeped from between his fingers.

"_Robin_!" she heard a low voice growl in outrage from the shadows. The sound of something exploding was followed by the sudden appearance of a cloud of blinding grey smoke. She lost sight of Jonathan, and began to panic. The figure with her kept her still as she tried to run to find him.

The smoke slowly cleared, revealing everyone, including Jonathan, all coughing from the smokescreen. He held up his gun again when he regained his composure, clearly smug about his victory at hitting Batman's sidekick, who had vanished from the scene, leaving only a small puddle of blood behind.

"He's going to get cocky..." she muttered in slight worry. She knew him to become careless when he was overly smug.

"Give it up, Crane..." came the low growl again. It seemed to cover the entire area.

"You sound disgruntled, Batman..." Crane said casually. "Is the little helper hurt so badly?"

"You seem pleased with shooting a child..." the voice answered in disgust.

"Your own fault for adding a child to the playing field." Jonathan shrugged. "His blood is on your hands, and you know it."

"Speaking of _children._.." the voice said. "It seems you've added your own juvenile pawn to your twisted chess game." he said. "Hand her over, Crane, before you get her into more trouble than she already is in." Jonathan seemed to think it over for a split second, but he threw his hands in the air.

"I don't think so. I've grown rather attached to this particular patient, and you know how I don't like to share..." he said. Ra's stood there, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes lazily searching the area.

"Why don't you show yourself, detective?" he asked simply.

"What do you have to do with Crane, Ra's?" Batman asked, refusing to show himself.

"Simply doing a small favor for an old associate. That is all."

"Ra's, you can leave now. You have what I've given to you. She's in your care now." Jonathan said. Ra's nodded, and began to move away from the scene.

"Not so fast." Batman called, and a row of batarangs laded in front of Ra's, stopping him in his tracks. Jonathan fired in the direction where they came from. Another shot out, and hit his hand. He dropped the gun, and the impact it had with the ground caused it to fire a stray bullet.

"Dammit all!" Jonathan shouted, cradling his injured hand with the other. His finger was broken.

"'_Crow_!" Michael shouted wildly from the car. Jonathan shot his eyes to him to see he was pointing towards the docks. He turned to see what the matter was.

Beth stood there, gripping the middle of her shirt where the stray bullet hit her, sickly red staining its white color. A look of shock covered her face, and she trembled. Jonathan stopped breathing, and time seemed to slow as she toppled over, falling into the black water.

"Beth-" he ran forward, but something coiled around his leg and made him fall hard to the ground. Shaking his head, he looked up. Ra's was gone, along with his followers, leaving only him, Michael, and the Bat. He was in cuffs before he could struggle free, and he began to shout.

"Hold still-"

"She fell! She's in the water! _Go, now!" _Jonathan spat hysterically. Michael had already made it into the docks, and he dove in. Batman forced Jonathan to stand, and he hooked him to a light pole before running after Michael. Jonathan watched as Batman waited for Michael to resurface.

When he did, he was alone, and Batman hoisted him up onto the dock before placing him in cuffs and diving in himself. Minutes passed, and when he finally resurfaced, he to, was alone. Beth wasn't anywhere to be seen. His entire body became numb, and he fell to his knees. He could barely hear Michael when he and Batman reached him. He allowed himself to be lifted and dragged along, not really attached to the world at that moment.

"I couldn't find her, boss. I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"A child is dead because of you, Crane. You added her to the playing field, and now her blood is on your hands. We'll be lucky to find her body for a proper burial." Batman said. Jonathan felt his own words forced brutally down his throat, and he wished he could puke to get rid of the sick feeling that grew in his stomach as he slowly let a fact fill his mind.

Bethany Niles was dead...

...

**Author's Note: Thank ya all for the awesome reviews! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Stay tuned for the next one! ;D**


	10. Jonathan Is Afflicted With Major OCD

She didn't know if it was the bullet in her stomach or the impact with the water that caused her entire body to go numb, but she couldn't feel any of the iced water as it encased her in darkness and dragged her further down into its depths. The feeling of shock and fear faded. She couldn't breath, and her eyes became heavy. Images flashed in her mind as a dull ringing sound filled her ears. Her family was first to be seen, grueling images of their nonstop torment sending her into a depression in the emptiness.

Then there was Jonathan Crane.

The odd doctor.

The obsessor of fear.

The Scarecrow.

He'd experimented on her, sneered at her, angered her, argued with her, hit her...

...saved her, helped her, clothed her, read to her, taught her.

He cared for her, at least he pretended to. Perhaps he may have really enjoyed her company, sometimes, when they had meaningless conversations at the kitchen table when there was nothing else to do. Or possibly when she'd ask him about his work, showing eagerness to learn as much as she could. Maybe when he'd betray a small smile or pat her head briefly in silent approval when she got one of his questions right.

She remembered his wide eyes when he saw her on the docks just before she fell. A smirk twitched onto her face for one brief moment. He _must_ have cared, at least a little, to allow so much shock and fear be present on _his_ face.

Her eyes closed.

A final bubble of air escaped her mouth.

She accepted it.

...

(...THREE DAYS LATER...)

Jonathan Crane sat stiffly in an uncomfortable blue chair. His hooded eyes took in the room. A large office with manila folders covering shelves and filling open cabinets messily. He shivered angrily at the disarray and looked to the oversized wooden work desk with the small name plaque reading in polished bronze: 'Jeremiah Arkham, Warden, PhD'. He tapped the arm of his chair with his bandaged finger.

This used to be _his _office. Now it belonged to that unorthodox idiot, Arkham, a man who Victor Zsasz had tied around his scarred finger for months on end before Batman finally opened his oblivious eyes.

And now the fool was late for their session.

Jonathan sighed after fifteen long minutes of silent waiting and checked the cuffs that held his arms to the chair. They weren't even tight. He could slip from these at any moment easily. Honestly, when he was head doctor here, there were no such faults when dealing with his patients.

"Nor were there any _break-outs_..." he muttered, his voiced cracked from lack of use.

"Ah, it seems you're speaking, Mr. Crane! Good, good!" came a voice from behind as the office door opened. The speaker spoke to Jonathan like a child, and that only made him angry. _He _never spoke to _his_ patients like that. That was when Arkham Asylum was his, but_ now.._.

Jonathan looked up to the man who spoke to him. A man of thirty-two years, with large ears and a wrinkled doctor's coat. His hair was brown, and straight; perfectly cut, with the bangs hanging just above his eyebrows, which Jonathan found to be unprofessional. Even _he_ swept his hair back during working hours as head doctor. Dr. Arkham's blue eyes looked back at him through rectangular thick rimmed glasses that seemed to be just a bit too large for his square face. Even Jonathan instantly thought, 'Dweeb...'

"Don't speak to me like that, you uneducated fool..." he said. Dr. Arkham set down some files he had with him down on his desk, and he sat before looking at Crane.

"Whatever do you mean, Mr. Crane?" he asked, his tone still condescending. Jonathan grinded his teeth together. That asshole was doing that on purpose.

"_Doctor _Crane..." he spat. Dr. Arkham adjusted his large glasses and smiled slightly.

"It seems you've forgotten yet again that your license has been stripped from you, _Mr. _Crane. Unless you're certified, I'm afraid calling you something like 'doctor' is out of the question." he said, and opened one of the files. "Now, it seems you've been rather silent since your return to Arkham three days ago. Let's focus on that." he opened one of the desk drawers and pulled out a tape recorder, then set it on his desk before pressing the recording button. "July twenty-third, nineteen ninety-seven. Dr. Jeremiah Arkham with patient number 1408, Jonathan Crane." he said, and turned back to Jonathan. "Now, Jonathan, what is it that kept you from speaking all this time?" he asked. Jonathan looked blankly back at the doctor.

"I'm not usually social, you should know this, _doctor..._." he sneered. Dr. Arkham nodded, and pulled up a piece of pink paper.

"We were given information from the Batman that you had a child working with you the night you were taken in." he said, and Jonathan froze. "Now," Arkham went on, noting Jonathan's discomfort, "I know the story from Batman, but I would like to hear your version on how you lost the child."

Jonathan didn't speak. Instead, his hands clasped the arms of the chair and gripped it tightly. His broken finger sent a shock of pain up his arm, but he didn't care. Dr. Arkham sighed.

"It seems to me that the very reason for your more than usual withdraw from social contact is indeed the death of the child, which we were able to identify as Bethany Niles from a blood sample taken from the dock where she was shot..." he paused, and looked directly at Jonathan, "By_ you_, Mr. Crane..."

Jonathan began to twitch, tapping the arms once again, his eyes flicking from one messy spot in the office to another.

"Mr. Crane, we never found the body, even after we sent _national guard_ out to search for her."

There were so many things out of order.

"How close were you to this girl, Mr. Crane?"

His office shouldn't look like this.

"Did you _care_ for her? Is _silence_ your way of _mourning_ this loss, Mr. Crane?"

Why was it so _messy_?

"Mr. Crane?"

_Tick-tock...tick...tock...tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock-_

_-SNAP..._

"Hick-or-y dick-or-y _DOC_..." Jonathan suddenly muttered each syllable separately, placing great emphasis on the las word. His head jerked to the side.

"Mr. Crane, are you _alright_?" Dr. Arkham asked, a hint of genuine concern in his voice. He watched Jonathan's eyes dart everywhere as his chest heaved with every breath he took.

"Doc, doc, doc-doctor, _doctor, doctor, DOCTOR_!" He ended with a shout, making Arkham jump, his glasses falling off his face.

"Mister Crane! That was highly uneccessa-"

"Why the _hell_ is my office in such a _fucking mess_, you pathetic moron!?" Jonathan interrupted with a holler, his eyes bulging, sweat on his brow. "Have you _never _heard of organization in your minuscule existence!" Dr. Arkham's face went a little red at the insult.

"Mr. Crane, this isn't your office anymore! Now, I _strongly_ recommend you _calm down-_"

"_Goddamn it_! Where the hell is Dr. Leland?! I need someone intelligent to speak to before I lose my mind-" Jonathan stopped himself there, his eyes looking straight forward, through Dr. Arkham. "Before I lose my mind..." he repeated. A smile twitched on his lips. A manic giggle bubbled from them, and broke out into a mad, barking laugh. He slouched over as the laugh painfully escaped his throat, his eyes still wide, and strands of his bangs hanging over them. His hands were clenched into fists, and they smacked down against the arms of the chair repeatedly, as if he just heard a hilarious joke.

A real _knee-slapper..._

"Before...before I _lose my mind_, hahaHAhAhaHAhaHaHAHA_HAAAAAA_!" he finally hissed out, sending flecks of spit from his mouth. "It seems I've b-been eating my own words a lot lately! Irony's such a bitch, eh,_ Jerry boy_?!" He shouted, and sat back up again, his crazed face staring lividly at Arkham.

"I think it's time we ended our session for the day, Mr. Crane-"

"_Oh,_ for the love of_ fucking God!_" Jonathan raged, his laughter gone. He flattened his hands out and pulled them back quickly, sliding them easily from the cuffs. He lunged forward before Dr. Arkham could move, and he knocked him from his chair to the floor with one punch. The guards outside heard the commotion, but Jonathan quickly ran up and slammed the door shut before locking it and shoving the chair he was previously in under the handle. The guards banged hard on the door, and he knew it wouldn't keep them out for long. Best to do what he could with the time he had. He turned and grabbed the plaque from the table and walked around to where the doctor lay in terror. "My name," Jonathan rasped, and pulled Arkham up by his tie, tightening it around his neck and making him choke, "Is _Dr. Crane_, you parasitic _worm_!"

He used all his force to hit Arkham with the plaque, and it broke against his side with a loud snap. Arkham shouted in terror and pain as he clenched his side, and Jonathan relished in it, but it wasn't enough. He wanted more screams, even more horrified, more ear-splitting. The guards were hitting the door even harder now.

"Surely you can do better then _that,_ Dr. Arkham," he muttered darkly, ignoring them. "You must be good at _something,_ after all..." he picked up one of the plaque pieces, sneered, and stabbed Arkham's leg with the splintered end. The following scream was, as Jonathan could best describe it at the time, simply satisfactory. Not so much filled with horror than it was with pain. Pained screams were so different from terrified ones. So..._dull_...

"Now," he asked, his voice becoming remarkably civil, as if he weren't just beating a man, "What is my name, Jerry?" he asked. Dr. Arkham didn't answer at first, but a jab of the plaque, making it go farther into his leg, promptly made him stutter his answer.

"D-D-D-Dr...C-Cran-n-n-ne." he managed. Snot ran down his face, and the coppery scent of blood filled Jonathan's nose as it seeped from the stab wound.

"Good boy..." Crane muttered, and released his tie and stood away from him, leaving the plaque piece sticking from the doctor's leg. He adjusted his orange jumpsuit, smoothing out the creases, before going over to the shelves and beginning to tidy up the mess. As he sorted the files in alphabetical order in one of the cabinets, he sighed. "If I ever see your office this destructively cluttered again, I'll rip your eyes out of their sockets." he stated flatly, preoccupied with the alphabetizing. Dr. Arkham only lay on the floor, whimpering. Jonathan glanced at the door again when he was finished with the shelves, and tsked at the guards who were still failing at getting inside. "That's what happens when you place re-inforced doors in this madhouse. Makes it impossible to get out and _in._.."

He walked over to the desk, not his desk_. His_ desk was a sensible size. He picked up the folders Arkham brought in, and a picture fell out from it. He picked it up and skimmed over it. It was an evidence picture of a small puddle of blood staining a platform made from wood.

The dock.

Her blood.

"Bethany..." he stared at the picture, and gingerly touched where the blood was, as if he could feel it if he tried to.

His Little Red Riding Hood.

All gone...

He shakingly placed the picture back in the folder, and brought it to the cabinet to file away forever. He imagined the hellish nightmares that he'd have of that horrific night. He thought of how he'd scream her name as he would repeatedly watch her limp body fall into blackness. _Oh,_ how he'd scream. They'd be terrible, monstrous even. He smiled a large, toothy grin that nearly reached his ears, and he trembled in sick pleasure.

They'd be music to his ears.

"Hickory-dickory doc...the mouse ran up the clock..."

...

(...TWO WEEKS LATER...)

The sudden light made her slam her eyes shut as soon as she opened them. Her entire body groaned at her as she tried to move. She was so sore. Slowly, she opened her eyes again, the light a little less of a bother, but still biting at her vision. When her eyes adjusted, she discovered the light came from a bright lamp hanging above her.

"Wh-*cough, cough, cough*!" Her attempt to speak scratched her dry throat, and she hacked horribly, trying to take in proper air. "J-*cough*-Jon...Jon'thin..." she called weakly. No one answered. She tried to sit up, but a pain in her abdomen forced her back down again, taking her breath away yet again. "_Jonathan_!" her strangled voice called. What was going on?

"You're finally awake, I see." a calm voice said. She froze. That voice...

"Wha.."

"Bethany..."

The voice said her name, and the owner of it leaned over to look down at her. Beth's eyes widened.

Ra's Al Ghul.

The memories of that night flooded her mind, cold as ice, sending sharp pains through her head. She started to breath heavily, and tried to lift her arms. Something strapped them down to to whatever she was lying on, and she began to panic.

"Calm yourself, child." Ra's said. "Your arms her restrained so you wouldn't roll over onto your wound in your sleep." he said, and she watched him reach over and unbuckle the straps that kept her down. When her arms were free, she brought them up to look at her hands.

"Not dead..." she managed.

"No, you're not dead. Though you very nearly were. But, you were in my care, and I very well couldn't have you die on me, could I? That would be rather irresponsible of me, wouldn't it?" he asked. When she didn't answer, he brought over a small cup. "Lift your head." he said. Bethany complied, and he kept her head up with one hand while he tipped the cup at her mouth to drink."

She nearly spat it out when the sour taste hit her tongue, but her throat screamed for moisture, so she forced it down.

"What _was_ that?" she asked, her voice not quite as hoarse as before. He chuckled.

"Medicine from the local people. It'll help with your throat. You sound terrible. But, I guess that's expected, what with all the salt water you inhaled."

"I was shot." she said. "Jonathan dropped the gun, and it fired..." she said. She reached over her stomach and touched at a bandage that covered it. "I survived that?"

"Barely. Oh yes, your insides were quite the mess when we dragged you out of the water, but luckily we were able to put everything back in its proper place. Your heart stopped for a few minutes. It was almost unnerving." he said. She sighed.

"I just keep causing trouble, don't I?" she asked meekly. Ra's shrugged, and she scanned the room she was in. It wasn't a room; it was a large tent, with thick fabric for the walls, and makeshift shelves lining them, covered in medical supplies. She felt a chill. "Where am I?" she asked.

"East of China, that's all you need to know for now." he said.

"Where's Jonathan?" she asked.

"Gotham City. Arkham Asylum, to be exact." he said.

"He's that far from here?" she said, hardly believing how far away she was from him. Ra's nodded.

"An entire ocean away, girl." he said. Beth stared at him.

"D-does he know I'm okay?" she asked. Ra's paused for a moment, putting on a piteous look.

"He, as well as everyone else, believes you to be dead. Lost at sea." he replied. Her jaw dropped. "And," he went on, "I believe it would be best for them to remain thinking just that. It's the only way to guarantee your safety from the authorities, and a certain caped detective."

"But Jonathan wouldn't say anything-"

"I can't take any chances. Besides, he's been rather..._twitchy_, lately." he said, seeming to hide something from her. She narrowed he eyes.

"What do you mean?" she asked. He seemed to contemplate whether or not he should tell her what he knew, but the serious look on her face told him that she wouldn't stop until he spoke.

"I've been looking in on him for the past few weeks, to see how he's been coping. We _both_ know that his mental condition was already irked. In other words, we both know he's a bit _insane._"

"Yeah, and?" she asked. She didn't like where this was going.

"It seems that, since your 'passing', his condition has gotten worse." he said.

"How much worse..." she asked. She felt dread fill her stomach.

"It's rather difficult to explain, but, he's much more short-tempered. He attacks at will, seemingly even more obsessed with creating fear within those around him than he ever was. Three doctors have been injured so far by him, including the warden. He's become like a rabid _wolf, _snarling and snapping at anything and everything."

"You can't be serious..." she whispered. She'd seen that side of the odd doctor before when he fought Dodson and Falcone, and she remembered very vividly that she most definitely didn't enjoy it, even though his attentions weren't directed to her. And now he was stuck in that shadowed part of his mind, unable to escape for some reason, like he didn't want to return to logic. Not yet.

"He's even picked up reciting nursery rhymes on occasion."

"Like _what?_"

"He's rather fond of the rhyme about the mouse climbing the clock." he said. Beth scrunched her eyes, cursing herself for not knowing any specific rhymes. All she knew was her Grim tales.

"God..." she said, and shook her head in disbelief.

"I believe that your death was the cause of this. This might be his way of accepting it-"

"_Why_?!" she shouted, cutting him off. Her hand made a weak fist. "That's stupid!" she said.

"Perhaps not. Maybe he just cared more about you than he let on. For your death to drive him over the edge like that, it's a logical reasoning." he said. She lay back and stared dully at the lamplight.

The Doc went nuts.

Because of her.

"Always causing trouble..." she muttered to herself. She bit her lip. What if he hurt Michael or John in his crazed state? What if he hurt himself? And it would be her fault if it happened. What if she'd never see him again. Or worse, what if she did, and he didn't recognize her in his delirium? "All my fault..." she said silently.

"None of this was your fault." Ra's said. "Things happen, and all we can do is accept them in the end, and move on." Beth wanted to feel relaxed by his words of comfort, but it hardly worked.

"When do I leave?" she asked. She wanted to get back to Jonathan as soon as she could.

"You'll leave the village when you're recovered from this." he said, gesturing to the bandage on her stomach. "After that, you'll have a choice."

"What choice?" she asked.

"Well, I feel many times responsible for your current condition, and so, as repayment to you, I'm willing take you under my wing before sending you to back to Gotham."

"Why would I do that?" she asked.

"Think of it this way. You could either go back to Gotham as soon as you're healed, which will be in some weeks time. You'll have nowhere to go, since your caretaker in currently imprisoned, and even if he wasn't, he's a much more dangerous man to be around, especially for someone with your lack of experience in any kind of self defense."

"Or?" she whimpered.

"Or, you can stay here, with me, when you're healed. Yes, your stay will be incredibly long, and horribly tiring. But, once I'm done with you, you'll be much more useful to Dr. Crane when you return to Gotham, instead of being nothing more than something for him to take care of."

Bethany weighed the options in her mind. She wanted to see Jonathan desperately, but the way Ra's had explained things made her realize just how useless she currently was.

Either go home now and be useless, or go home later and be useful. Which one would Jonathan prefer, really?

Taking a deep breath, Bethany looked to Ra's.

"How long will you be teaching me?" she asked. Ra's smiled.

"First, it'll be until I see you're fit to leave. Then after that, you're welcome to stay until _you _see yourself fit to leave. How long you stay will depend on how quickly you learn. There is no definite time, but I will guess at least four years."

"Four years..." she muttered.

"At _least_. All worth it in the end, remember." he said. Beth chewed on the inside of her mouth, and silently apologized to Jonathan for how late she would be to return and how long she would have to remain 'dead' to him.

"I'll see you when I'm ready..." she said, knowing that it would be a long time until she would be 'ready'.

_Tick-tock..._

_..._

_**Author's Note: Aloha! Hope you liked the chapter, and thanks for the reviews, they are AWESOMELY appreciated! Stay tuned for the next one!**_


	11. Jonathan Romances and Bethany Climbs

"Oh, _wow_, damn it's cold out here!" Beth wrapped the fur coat she was given even more tightly around her person. Ra's nodded.

"It'll take some time getting used to." he said. He had on the usual black lather gear, as well as a thick cape of silver fur slung over his shoulders. They had just stepped outside from the tent that Beth had been residing in for over a month, healing. She wanted to go out sooner, to see the village, but the old woman who took care of her would always say something in Chinese and usher her back to bed. Now she was free to roam around, with Ra's' permission, so he could see whether or not she was ready to leave. She felt fine, besides feeling a bit sore in her stomach and having the chilling air bite the back of her neck.

"It snows in China?" she asked, observing the little white flecks that fell slowly from the sky.

"Of course. Especially where we are." Ra's said, pointing upward for Beth to see towering mountains surrounding the area. Her eyes widened. They were taller than the city buildings in Gotham. "And we aren't even on the ground. This is a village built in a small valley between two mountains. We're at least five hundred feet high." he said, and began to walk. Beth followed him, her eyes searching the village. The homes were all tents or made from wood, and everyone wore their own furs to keep warm by the small fires that scattered the area.

"Are they too poor to live in a city?" she asked. Ra's shook his head.

"No, and yes. They do not want anything to do with the modern structure of society. In cities, there is too much happening at once, violence, pollution. The people are filled with greed, and are never satisfied with what they have, and are obsessed with what they want. They turn a blind eye to what damage the are causing the world with their greed and corrupt nature. In cities, humans are rather...disgusting." he said. Beth's brow was raised as he said this.

"Wow, way to make a city girl feel bad." she said. He smirked.

"The truth is painful on most occasions. These people here use only what they need, and violence is nearly nonexistent, save for the occasional disagreement. They do not have cars, or lavish homes. There are no streetlights, no stores. They use their own means to acquire food and cloth. They wouldn't even have modern medicine if I didn't convince them that it would be helpful. They are happy, just as they are." he said.

"Nothing like Gotham." she said.

"Not in the least." Ra's replied.

"So, what now?"

"Now," he said, and stopped. He looked at her for a moment. "Now, I see that you're fit to train under me. You're obviously well enough to move."

"Where do we go from here?" she asked. He pointed up again.

"To the top of that mountain" he said. Beth looked up to the mountain he pointed to. She couldn't see the top through the thick clouds circling it.

"Are we going to climb that?" she asked.

"Yes, but you'll be by yourself. It'll be your first test. If you make it, I'll train you. If you don't, the only logical reason will be because you died."

"_Whaaaaa._..?"

"You didn't think this would be easy, did you?" he asked, amused by her shocked face.

"I didn't think it'd be that _hard,_ either!" she exclaimed.

"Are you backing away from this?" he asked. Beth paused. She scowled, and crossed her arms.

"_No._" she said. "I'm not. I'm just _ticked,_ is all."

"Stubborn. That's a good quality to have." he said, smiling.

"Jonathan said it was annoying."

"Dr. Crane is rather stubborn himself."

"That's a big _duh_." she muttered, and sighed. "When does this start?" she asked, looking up to the mountain. When she wasn't given an answer, she turned to ask him again. He was gone, and she was alone in the center of the village. "Well that's not creepy or anything!" she called to the air before kicking some snow. Apparently, she would start now.

Se began to march forward, towards the mountain, when the old woman who'd been caring for her blocked her path. The woman showed her two black rocks. Beth quirked a brow.

"Huh?" she asked. The woman tsked and quickly rubbed them together. Sparks flew, and the woman gestured to a small fire next to them. It clicked together, and Beth nodded before the woman gave her the flint. She then handed her a small knife with a simple wooden handle and a five inch long blade. After that, a small bundle was given to her. Beth looked inside to see a small package of meat. The woman then said something in Chinese, and ran off. Beth silently thanked her before pulling up the large hood and continuing on to the mountain.

...

Jonathan lay on the floor in his cell, his legs resting against the wall. He was humming something to himself, staring up at the metal ceiling with it's single light. His fingers tapped the floor to the rhythm of his hums. In the cell across from him, he heard a harsh cackle. Joker.

"How's it goin', doc? Lose a few bolts lately?" he asked.

"Shut it, Clown!" Poison Ivy shouted from some cells down.

"Oh, you're no fun, Plant! But seriously, hasn't the good doctor become so much more interesting since the kid was shot? Four doctors in just over a month, hee-hee! Soon, you won't have anyone brave enough to treat you, hahahHAAAA!"

"Mr. Napier, please calm down and leave Dr. Crane alone." came a calm voice. Joker blew a raspberry at the new voice, then became quiet, save for some manic giggles. Jonathan recognized the voice, and didn't bother tilting his head back to see her.

"Hello, Dr. Leland." he said flatly.

"Hello, Dr. Crane." she said from the large glass wall. He smirked when she called him doctor. At least there was one intelligent mind in this damned hell-hole. "How are you feeling?" she asked. Another thing, she didn't speak to her patients like child.

"I'm alright." he replied, deciding to give an answer. It was a lie, but it was an answer.

"Your session is at three o'clock with me on Tuesday. That's three days from now."

"Yes, I'm aware." he said.

"And, because of your behavior towards the other doctors, you will be placed in a straight jacket. I hope you understand."

"I understand perfectly, Dr. Leland." he said in reassurance, which made Dr. Leland wary.

"Is there anything I can get for you, Dr. Crane?" she asked.

"Yes, actually." He tilted his head back to look at her, and frowned. "You're upsidedown." he said, examining the dark skinned doctor. A blue band was in her hair to keep her bangs from falling over her face.

"You're laying down, Dr. Crane." she said softly. Jonathan looked down at himself.

"It seems I am." he said, and sat up before standing and brushing himself off. He frowned again, appearing to be thinking about something.

"What's wrong, Dr. Crane?" Dr. Leland asked. He looked at her, a hint of agitation in his brown eyes, he pushed his glasses up his nose.

"Dr. Leland, did I really just accuse you of being upsidedown?" he asked.

"Yes, Dr. Crane." she answered. His brow furrowed.

"Why would I do that?" he asked in disbelief. He leaned against the wall, staring intently at his hands.

"I don't know, Dr. Crane." she relied truthfully.

"Why not? You doctors have been speaking with me for over a month. Why haven't you deduced anything yet?" he snapped, authority in his tone. He straightened up, and swept his hair back. Dr. Leland imagined he was the head doctor again, but the manic tint in his eyes brought her back to reality quickly.

"Well, Dr. Crane, every time we've attempted to have a session with you, you'd snap and try to bring harm to your therapist. If you would just talk and not attack, maybe we would be able to help you." she said. Jonathan huffed and walked over to the glass wall that separated them. He looked down at her.

"Logical answer, Dr. Leland. Why is it you didn't become head doctor when I was so rudely turned from doctor to patient?" he asked. She blushed at his compliment. Even when he was head doctor, any sign of approval from him was almost nonexistent. Now he was saying she should be head doctor.

"You were saying about what I could get for you, Dr. Crane?"

"What's _wrong _with me, Dr. Leland?" he asked quietly, resting his head against the glass. She looked up at him. His eyes showed pain and confusion.

"We should save this for our session-"

"No." he said firmly, and pressed his hand against the glass. "Forget doctor/patient for just a moment. Just answer my question."

"Dr. Crane-"

"_Please,_ Joan..." he said, his voice hoarse. "You're the only person I can talk to about this, and I don't want to have to be in a straight jacket to do it.." Dr. Leland swallowed. He said her first name. Dr. Jonathan Crane never did that before., let alone say 'please'. She'd never seen this side of him before, either. Was she getting through to him, after all this time? She sighed.

"Alright, Dr. Crane-"

"Please, call me Jonathan." he said.

"Alright..._Jonathan_..." she said, her mouth dry. His name felt like a foreign language on her tongue.

"You look scared." he said. "Don't be. Just answer my question." she nearly jumped at his last statement, but composed herself before finally answering him.

"After reading over your latest files, I've come to the conclusion that your behavior is a reaction to your recent loss, your loss being Bethany Niles." she said, and nervously looked back up to him. His expression was analyzing. He studied her face.

"About that object I wanted you to bring me..." he said, changing the subject.

"Y-yes?" she asked.

"I'd like some reading material, if that would be alright." he said.

"Yes, books are allowed. What would you like?" she asked.

"The Brother's Grim Fairytales." he answered. Dr. Leland raised a brow at that. She was expecting something along the lines of chemistry or psychology. But, a book of fairytales? The change in taste of books must have been another effect of his recent experience.

"Alright, I'll have one in as soon as I can Dr, Cr-, er, Jonathan." she said. He smiled at her. Had he always been that handsome?

"Thank you, Joan. I don't want to keep you from your duties. Have a good day." he said, and walked over to the far wall and lay down again, staring up at the ceiling. Dr. Leland, slightly stunned, began to leave. As she left, she heard his hums carry down the hall.

She walked faster.

...

"I'm cold..."

Nothing answered.

Beth huffed and brought her knees up to her chest. It was dark out, and there was a small fire glowing in front of her, lighting only a small portion of the area. She tried not to focus on the darkness surrounding her, remembering her promise to Jonathan that she wouldn't be afraid. That promise was proving to be difficult. and began to recite her times tables.

"One times six is six. Two times six is twelve. Three times six is...um...twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, _eighteen_, yeah, eighteen." she said. Her stomach growled, interrupting her focus. Her small amount of food was very nearly gone, and that worried her. She looked at the knife sitting next to her, remembering what Ra's had said about the villagers finding their own food. She imagined having to stab a bunny.

"I don't think so..." she muttered, and continued to gaze at the fire. She'd been doing a lot of scrambling for the last two days to get up there, and she didn't even know how far she'd gotten. "This is crazy..."

She heard something move from a little ways off, and her head snapped in its direction. Panic was instant, and she felt her heart thud against her chest. She heard shouts then. People. Her feeling of dread melted a little and she picked up her knife and began walking toward where they were making so much noise. Were they hunting? Maybe they'd have food. She saw feint fire light in the distance, and she picked up her pace, keeping careful not to trip on anything.

The shouting became louder, and she wondered whether or not that was a good thing. When she finally reached the lights, she hid behind a rock to keep from showing herself. There were four men. Two of them carried torches, and h=the others carried spears. They were circled around something. A large grey wolf, that snapped at them and growled every time they goaded it with the spears. It was in front of a small den. Beth heard whimpers come from it.

The wolf lunged at the shouting men, and one stabbed it in its front leg, making it fall over. It still snapped at them in its weakened state. They laughed at it. One smacked its snout with their torch. The wolf was powerless. A man walked up with a large rock, and smashed it down on the wolf's skull. The wolf went still, and another man took a knife and slit its throat. Blood spilled over the white snow. More yipping came from the den, and one man walked to it with a large burlap bag. He reached into the den, and began pulling from it small pups, each shrieking at the strange touch of him and being thrown carelessly into the bag. When he had them all in, he tossed the bag over his back, earning a collective yipe from them.

Beth leaned over the rock some more, her eyes wide in shock. A twig snapped under her foot. The sound might as well have been deafening, because the four men froze, and turned towards her, spears and torches raised. When they saw her, they relaxed. Her stomach growled again, and they snorted at her. One scanned her dirty face and clothes as well as the knife in her hand. He said something to the man with the bag of pups, and the man dropped the sack to the ground and pulled from it one of them. Without warning, he tossed it to her, and she dropped her knife before scrambling to catch it. She missed, and it fell past her to the snow. It yipped loudly. She hurriedly picked it up and looked to the man in question. He pointed to her knife, then to the pup before going to pick up the dead wolf by its hind legs. The men left, dragging the wolf behind them, leaving her alone in the dark.

Beth looked down to the pup in her arms. It was very young, it's eyes only just opening. An iced blue. It had thick black fur, and it wriggled around with its large paws in an attempt to get away. The little girl in her melted.

She was supposed to eat this?

It gave a long whine, and she covered it up inside her coat to muffle its cries, hoping it wouldn't signal any other big meat-loving animals in the area. She picked up her knife with one hand, and held the pup inside her coat with the other, then began walking back to her dimly lit camp area.

"At least I'll have company..." she said. When she was back, she sat roughly down and peeked into her jacket at the little thing. It looked back up at her with its tiny eyes, and yelped. "Shhhh, sh-shhh. It's all good." she whispered, and cooed to it as she lightly touched the little things nose. It tried to bite her, but it had no teeth yet, and only ended up gumming and sucking on it. "You're hungry to, huh?" she asked. It whimpered in reply, and she removed her finger from the coat to cover the pup again. "I'll try to get us there quickly, promise." she said. Minutes later, the pup stopped its squirming, and fell asleep. She felt it breath against her stomach. The dancing of the flames in front of her made her own eyes heavy, and she yawned before scooting closer and laying down on her back.

She was out in minutes.

...

"Hello, Joan." Jonathan said the next day to Dr. Leland. It was now Tuesday, two forty-five, fifteen minutes before his session, and he was about to be placed in the straight jacket. Dr. Leland smiled at him in response. He'd been speaking idly with her in his cell for the last three days quite comfortably. She hoped that their session would be just as simple, now that he seemed to be comfortable taking with her. Two orderlies opened the glass door into his room, and stepped in with the jacket at the ready.

"You know what to do, Crane." one of them said. Jonathan nodded and held his arms out for them to slip the long sleeves over. As they buckled him in, he winced.

"Ow..." he muttered.

"What's wrong, Jonathan?" Dr. Leland asked.

"My broken finger hurts excruciatingly. Could you loosen this a bit?" he asked one of the orderlies. One shook his head.

"No, Crane-"

"Yes." Dr Leland interrupted, and stepped forward into the cell towards Jonathan. The orderlies were shocked.

"Dr. Leland?" one asked.

"His finger is broken, and if the bonds are causing it pain, then it should be loosened at least a little to give some relief. He may not cooperate otherwise." she said.

"Thank you, Joan." Jonathan said. His thanks was genuine, and she smiled again.

"Of course." she said when she reached behind him and loosened the bonds just a bit. "Is that enough?" she asked.

"Yes, just enough." he replied. The orderlies exchanged glances, and shrugged. The bonds were hardly even adjusted, and who were they to challenge a doctor. They were just the muscle, really.

"Alright then, let's go." Dr. Leland said, and she walked with Jonathan out of his cell. Joker made catcalls at the two as they passed him, and she blushed.

"I'd like to thank you bringing me that book last night, Joan." Jonathan said.

"Yes, you're welcome, Jonathan. Did you enjoy it?" she asked.

"I can't really say. I only read one story." he replied.

"Oh, really? Which one was it?" she asked. He smiled.

"Little Red Riding Hood."

Dr. Leland stopped, and Jonathan stopped next to her, looking curiously down at her wide eyes.

"Something wrong?" one of the orderlies asked. She ignored them.

"Wasn't miss Niles called that?" she asked, remembering the news report. Jonathan nodded his head vigorously.

"Yes, yes, she was _very _excited when she was named on the television. Talked about getting her own costume and all that..." his voice faltered, and he stared off into space, a sad look in his eye. In the cell ahead, Dr. Leland heard Harley give a depressed sniff. Dr. Leland rest her hand on his arm, and he blinked, looking back to her.

"You're going to get through this, Jonathan." she said.

"You really think so?" he asked, a weak smile forming on his lips. She nodded.

"If you work hard enough, you can accomplish anything." she said. His smile stretched to a wide grin.

"Oh, well that's a relief, because I've been working _very _hard." he said. She smiled in slight confusion.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"This." he said. His grin stayed, but his eyes became nothing short of menacing. Fear leapt into Dr. Leland's throat as his arms suddenly became free and he lunged at her. He grabbed her hair and threw her head back, then, with his other hand, held a small razor to her throat, ceasing the movements the orderlies took toward them. Her band fell out of her hair to the floor, and her black bangs fell over her terrified eyes as they stared into Jonathan's cold ones. The cackling of Joker from down the hall made the scene even worse.

"Jon-"

"You see this little sharp object in my hands?" he suddenly said, glaring at the guards. "I suggest you drop those keys to the cells, now." she heard the sound of metal hitting the floor with a jingle. "Good, now, before you meet Dr. Leland's insides, walk into my cell and shut the door behind you." slow shuffling. The sound of a door closing. Dr. Leland was now alone with him in the hallway, with everyone's eyes on her throat.

"Jonathan, why?" she asked.

"Tisk, tisk, Dr. Leland. How unprofessional of you to call me that. Really, now." he said in amusement. Tears tracked down her face into her hair.

"But what you said-"

"Really, doctor! Haven't you learned not to trust the words of a patient? I thought you were smarter than that, and that made me worry that you'd see through my plan. Thankfully, you're just dumb enough to fall for the doctor/patient romance cliche. Women are _so _easy to manipulate..." he said.

"_Hey_!" Harley called from her cell in anger, and Joker hooted from his.

"Took a page from _my _book, eh, Straw-Man?! Hahahaha!"

"Now," Jonathan said. "Even though you are an idiot, you're also the only doctor in this place any of us can tolerate. So, I'll leave you alive this time. Consider this payback for the reading material." he tapped her cheek with the razor. "You know how hard it was for my men to slip this into that book without you noticing?" Jonathan dropped Dr. Leland to the floor and ran to the end of the hall to the door. He reached a panel labeled 'emergency release' and punched in a code. The glass doors to all the cells opened, and he left without another word as the Rogues stepped out, stretching.

"Welp," Joker said, cracking his fingers, "Time to party!"

...

Bethany was exhausted. She hugged the rocks closely, not wanting to fall.

"They couldn't put in a ladder?" she muttered as she glanced down to the ground that was far below her. She was nearly to the top, and she only had about fifty feet left to climb. Her jacket was on backwards, and the pup was resting in her hood, yipping continuously at her. "Oh, hush, you." she said to it, and forced herself to keep climbing. "I seriously think this borders on child abuse..."

...

Jonathan was exhausted. He never stopped swimming.

Only a few more feet until he reached the shore. The island was a few miles behind him, its alarms blaring. He ditched the orange jumpsuit back at the island, knowing it would make him stick out in the water. Now he just looked like someone enjoying a swim. People were so easy to fool. He forced himself onward.

...

Bethany grabbed the grass at the top to help hoist herself up, thankful that it didn't tear from the ground. When she was at the top, she fell over on her side. There was no standing up straight and punching the air in victory. She just lay there, in humble pride. Her muscles tingled, and the pup in her hood reached out and bit her nose weakly, as if to give her its approval.

She smiled, and slowly made herself sit up, first to look down at what she had scaled. She was so high up. She then turned around to see a large entranceway. She saw Ra's waiting by it, smiling in amusement at the girl. She looked behind him, through the entrance to see many large wooden and stone buildings. A temple with ancient Chinese architecture. She groaned when she saw what led to the temple.

Stairs...

...

He reached shore and pulled himself out, laying on his back to suck in air, and rest his screaming limbs. When he was calmed, he sat up and looked around. He was at a deserted beach area near the docks. Trash littered the area and oil made rainbow colors in the dark water. He looked back out to see Arkham Island, a condescending sneer on his face. He was so far away. He turned to see John waiting obediently for him by a simple car. Behind him was the city skyline and the sound of cars passing quickly by each other. He laughed as he drank in the sight.

Home...

...

"You seem a bit tired." Ra's said, walking up to Beth.

"Issat a joke, sir?" she asked. He chuckled and knelt down. The pup saw him and yelped before hiding in Beth's hood.

"I see you've acquired a friend." he said. "How did you get him away from his mother?"

"Hunters took her. They left him for me to eat when they saw me, but I couldn't do that..."

"Children are so softhearted." Ra's said, and helped her stand, the pup in her arms.

"Can I keep him?" she asked. He sighed, and nodded.

"But you'll be the one taking care of him. Have you named him yet?" he asked. Beth shook her head and looked down at the shaggy thing.

"How about Chance?" she asked. "Lots of symbolism in that name and whatnot." she said.

"That's fine. Let's get you some warm food now. You've passed the first test." Ra's said, and pressed lightly on her back to move her forward. Her steps were shaky, but she managed to keep herself upright.

"What now?" she asked.

"During your stay you will be given an academic education as well as train under me. You'll be shown to your quarters, where you can keep you little friend and take care of him. You'll have to share your food rations with him."

"I can do that."

"You make it sound like it'll be nothing."

"Compared to that mountain I just scaled with hardly any provisions, anything seems like it can be simple." she said.

"You're just not understanding how serious this place is, and how severe a toll it will take on your daily energy. By the end of the week, you'll be wishing you were still climbing up here."

"You trying to scare me out of this?" she asked. He laughed, and clasped his hands behind his back as he walked.

"I am merely telling the truth."

"Every time you tell the truth, it's scary."

"If someone is telling you the truth, and you are not disturbed by it in any way, then that truth is a _lie._ There is no truth that isn't painful or horrific, my dear." he said.

"I love this puppy." Beth said. "And that fact doesn't disturb me. Your argument is invalid." she said.

"You say you love the little thing. Tell me, when the day comes where it finally dies, will the fact that you love it cause great discomfort?" Ra's asked simply. Beth clenched her jaw.

"Okay, okay. I know what you're talking about now..." she muttered, holding Chance a little closer to herself at the thought of him dying.

She stopped when they reached the entrance, and she looked up the stairs to the temple. Ra's noted her nervous gaze.

"No fear, Bethany." he said. She swallowed, and nodded stiffly.

"No fear." with those words, she walked forward.

...

Jonathan climbed into the backseat of the car, a towel hanging over his arms. John revved the car to life.

"Where to, 'Crow?" he asked.

"The docks." Jonathan relied as he put on the clothes that awaited him in the seat.

"Gotcha."

When he was dressed, Jonathan looked out the tinted window to the sunlit streets. People passed without a care in their little heads, and he made a repulsed face. In a city of corruption, they were so dim-witted enough to see past it all. Their greed and selfishness blinded them to the painfully obvious.

Disgusting.

"We're here, boss." John said when they stopped. Jonathan got out of the car. No one noticed him. Of course they didn't; Bad guys didn't come out until bedtime. He walked past people, to the area where he saw her last. To that dock she fell from. He reached it, and looked down. They didn't do well getting rid of the blood. There was a faint stain. He knelt down and touched it.

He was told that her death was nothing more than an article in the back of the newspaper. Easily looked over, easily forgotten. He looked up at the people.

The _insects. _

The real villains of this city.

They made him who he was. They made her who she was.

Then they_ killed _her by forcing her into his mad games.

And now, she wasn't even a sad thought on any of these insects' minds. He'd make them pay for their uncaring hearts.

"_I will make you all scream_..." he whispered slowly as he stood. No one listened. John walked up behind him.

"About the rugrat, er, _Beth_...I-I'm sorry, boss. I'll miss her, to." he said. Jonathan looked at him.

"That's why you work for me, John." he said, and walked back to the car, John following and wondering what exactly his boss meant by those words. Jonathan sat back in the car, and watched the insects as John got them moving again. Yes, they would all pay for the rest of his life, and he would revel in their terror.

"Fear me..."

...

**Author's Note: Did you guys actually think I'd pair Jonathan with Leland? Be truthful now, hee-hee! But no, I'd never do that. Poor Joan, haha. **

**Hoped you liked the chapter! Thanks again for the awesome reviews, peoples! It is my inspiration! XD Stay tuned for next!**


	12. Bethany Is Unafraid

**(...SIX YEARS LATER...)**

"Again!"

"But I just performed that perfectly a hundred times!"

"Seventeen times, not a hundred. When we reach a hundred, then you may take a break. Again!"

"Dammit.."

Ra's ran forward to Beth, his katana in hand. The dangerously sharp blade slashed out, and she ducked under and summersaulted away...again...

She sighed, as if she didn't just narrowly escape being decapitated by her instructor. Sweat trailed down the side of her face, and she wiped it away. It might have been freezing out, but this workout was just enough to keep her warmed up. Instead of getting back up, she stayed seated, and pulled her black hair that reached past her shoulders out from its ponytail. Her freckles grew in number since she'd arrived, all thanks to the long amounts of time she'd spent out in the sun. She looked down at the thick clothing she wore. They were plain black, covered with leather armor that protected her chest, arms and legs. Thin slits from Ra's' katana decorated the cloth part. Ra's walked over to her.

"Giving up?"

"Yes." she said brightly, and slumped to the ground to make a snow angel. He sighed at her stubbornness. Her attitude may have been the only thing that didn't change in six long years.

"No discipline." he said.

"None!" she replied, a wide grin on her face. Suddenly, a long black snout appeared over her face and huffed at her before attacking her face with a large tongue. "Chance! Blegh! Off!" she pushed the wolf's head away from her and sat up, wiping off the slobber with her sleeve. The muscled wolf sat down next to her and gave her a playful headbutt.

Sadly, what Chance considered to be playful was sometimes very bad for humans, and his massive skull sent stars in her eyes as soon as it roughly made contact with herrforehead. "Ooooowwww!" she shouted, and rubbed her head. As a response, Chance howled, thinking that was what she was doing. She grinned at him and scratched his thick black fur, ignoring the spots that clouded her vision.

Chance had become very large since six years ago, becoming just as tall as Ra's when the wolf stood up on his haunches. His feet were powerfully large, with thick black claws that blended with his fur. He sported devilish teeth, and brought fear to anyone when he would give them a toothy grin. He too, had armor on. Leather, just like hers, that protected his back and sides. On some occasions, when he'd be part of her practice, he'd even had leg guards on to keep himself ever more protected from the wrath of Ra's' or anyone elses blades.

He was overprotective of his human, and his fur always stood on end when Beth would go out to practice with anyone besides Ra's. He was always at her side, his thick tail swishing from side to side when she scratched behind his ears. They were almost inseparable, dubbing Beth the nickname Wolf Girl since not long after her arrival.

Ra's sat down next to her after sheathing his katana. She leaned against Chance and looked at her instructor.

"So, how am I doing?" she asked.

"You aren't headless, so I guess you're doing satisfactory." he said. Her jaw dropped.

"Satisfactory? I rocked that move!" she exclaimed. Chance ducked his head down once, as if expressing his agreement. Ra's smirked.

"Yes, I suppose you did, ah,_ rock_ that move. But you shouldn't let it get to your head. You could become careless." he said, and reached over and poked her stomach, gesturing to the scar that rested beneath the armor and cloth. The one Jonathan gave her. She smiled sadly.

"Don't worry. When it comes to stuff like this, I'm serious."

"That's why there's a snow angel in the center of the sparring yard." he said in amusement.

"Hey, I'm taking a break! Ra's, when are we going to go over something different? We've been stuck on re-runs for almost a month. Yesterday we practiced blocks I learned on my first week here!" she said.

"Growing tired of it?" he asked. She clenched her jaw, and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah I am."

"Well then, why not leave?" he asked. Her eyes shot to him, searching for any humor. There was none. He was serious.

"You know I don't mean-"

"Yes you do. You were supposed to leave a year and a half ago, when I saw that you were ready, but you stayed, wanting to refine what you'd been taught perfectly. You've done that. It would not insult me of you wanted to leave now." he said. Beth was still against Chance, only moving with his breaths.

"Really?" she asked. Ra's nodded.

"Of course, there's still one final test I'd like you to take before you depart." he said. Beth straightened up at the mention of a challenge, and Ra's smiled at her confidence.

"Is it a sparring trick?" she asked.

"No. It's a test different than all the others I've given you. It'll be difficult." he said.

"Lemme at it." she said, throwing her fists in the air as if to start brawling with someone. Chance wagged his tail at her excitement.

"Alright then." Ra's stood and brushed off the snow. "I'll see you tonight then, in the main building. After that, whether or not you pass this test, you may leave." he said, and left her alone with Chance in the sparring yard, the dark colors of her clothing and his fur contrasting with the white snow. She contemplated the test she would be taking, attempting to think of a clue of whit it might be. She lay back down.

"Chance, what does that old guy have up his sleeve this time?" she asked her companion. He perked his ears at her, and snorted once before lying over and resting his head on her stomach. She scratched behind his ear absentmindedly.

Jonathan entered her mind, as he often did. She very nearly decided to return to Gotham when Ra's had said she was fit to, her want to see her old caretaker high. But she stopped herself. She wanted to make sure she could learn as much as she could before going back, even if that meant extending her stay by a year and a half. Now, she'd be leaving the next morning, and the realization shocked her.

"Looks like you'll be meeting the Doc soon, Chance. Hope he's not allergic to dogs." she said, and frowned. How the hell was she going to get this beast transferred to America? "Well, shit..." she muttered. She hadn't thought of that. Chance wasn't exactly house pet material. She'd have to speak with Ra's about that.

Another thought crossed her mind. Would Jonathan recognize her? She plucked at her hair. She was certainly different looking now. She'd grown to five foot nine inches, fairly tall. She was always lean, but she now had subtle abs, all due to her vigorous exercises. She tilted her chin down to look at her chest. She certainly didn't have boobs when she stayed with Jonathan, which were a fair size, in her opinion. Not to big to get in her way while sparring, and not to small to make her look like a cute man. She blushed. Why was she thinking about her breasts?

Chance looked at her with his icy blue eyes. Her grey ones looked back at him in question. "What is it, boy?" she asked. The growling of his stomach answered her, and she laughed before jumping up from her spot. "Time for your lunch. Race you." she said, and began to run. He bounded up to her and used his head to kick her legs out from under her and make her land on his back. For a few terrifying feet, he trotted with her slowly slipping from his leather armor until she finally fell face first into the snow.

He yipped at her as she sat up and spat snow from her mouth. She glared at her partner. "I'll use your hide for a _rug_!" she said, and began chasing after him. He pounced away from her lunge, and took toward the mess hall.

...

Beth did just as Ra's had instructed and walked to the main building that night, Chance following close behind, his ears perked to listen for any possible threats. His armor was gone, as was hers. She now only wore a simple black outfit with fur lining the cuffs and hod of her jacket. Her hair was back in a ponytail, as she'd often kept it since it became long enough to do so opened the large door, and allowed Chance in before walking in and closing out the cold. The cold, that was one thing she wouldn't miss at all.

"Ah, you're here." Ra's voice made her turn to see him sitting next to a fireplace at the other end of the room. She walked over to him and sat. He gave her a cup of coffee, and she took it gratefully. He then tossed Chance a plain biscuit, and the wolf swallowed it without a thought.

"So, what's gonna-"

*THUMP*

Beth's eyes shot to Chance after he fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Chance!" she leaned over him, panicked.

"He'll be fine. I placed a sedative in the treat to knock him out for about an hour." Ra's said. Beth glared at her instructor.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because your next test would make him want to intervene, and that can't happen." he said simply, and handed her a flower. She took it and examined it. A small, odd thing, blue, with long thistles on the outside and curled petals at the base.

"Pretty, but what do I do with it?" she asked. Ra's leaned over to a table and picked up a metal bowl. He placed it front of them, and took the flower back to drop it in. He then pulled a stick from the fireplaced and rested the burning end and hovered it against the flower.

"You are aware of Dr. Crane's fear toxin, correct?" he asked. She nodded.

"This flower is what made it possible to come up with such a concoction. It contains a hallucinogenic drug that causes the user to see and feel fear." he said.

"If you're wanting me to try it out, I've already done that." she said.

"I know, which is why I want you to try it again, without uttering a single fearful sound." he said. Beth gulped. This test would be hard...

"Not a peep?" she asked. He nodded.

"You must beat your fear down, face it, vanquish it. Hell, if you last at least two minutes without uttering a sound, I'll be impressed. This is raw fear, Miss Niles, not a controlled substance the doctor created." he said. Beth flexed her fingers and took a deep breath.

"How do I use it?" she asked.

"Inhale the fumes." he said. She nodded, and he tipped the lit stick onto the flower, lighting it on fire. He stepped back, and she leaned forward, inhaling the odd scent.

She was instantly in darkness. Tensing, she looked around for light, but of course, there wasn't any. When she arrived here, she used Chance to help her keep the fears of the dark at bay, always cuddling close to him. Now he wasn't there. She was alone in the dark. She swallowed, and stood before wandering aimlessly. The fear was relentless, making her heart thud loudly and causing her paranoia to rise. Something fluttered by, and she spun around. She clamped her mouth shut. No fear.

The sound of metal dragging across the ground made her spin to attempt to see in the direction it came from. The fear was clawing at her chest now, wanting to burst out with a horrific scream, but she covered her mouth with her hands, blocking the way.

A light suddenly shined down on her, making a circle of light around her. What was going on? The scraping sound became louder, no, _closer. _She watched as something stepped into the light with her, and she very nearly fainted.

It was the woodcutter.

The all-back shadow beast with the yellow grin looked down at her with burning red eyes, his bloodied axe making the scraping noise as he dragged it along. He was dragging something else, and she dodged as he threw that something at her. She looked at the mass of black fur that lay limp before her. It was Chance, and his head was nearly severed completely off. She made a silent gasp and tears fell down her face. The wood cutter chuckled, and her eyes returned to him. It. He pointed with a wispy finger back to the dead body, and her eyes looked back down.

The scream nearly succeeded at forcing itself free from her throat, and it scratched at her clamped teeth as she stared in horror at Jonathan's body. His body was beaten, bloody, bashed, gashed, crushed, everything. Blood seeped from everywhere, making a large pool that reached her feet and surrounded them. His body twitched, and he stared at her with sunken eyes.

"Your fault..." his garbled voice hissed, and he pointed a crooked finger at her accusingly. Beth backed away, shaking her head. She didn't see the wood cutter raise his axe-

-and bring it quickly down on Jonathan's chest. Beth froze, and her hands fell limp from her mouth. The wood cutter screeched a laugh as he wrenched the axe from Jonathan's body, making him flop over like a doll. He raised it again, and looked directly at Beth.

But she wasn't registering anything. She only stared at Jonathan's body.

_Tick-tock..._

What was that?

_Tick-tock..._

_...SNAP..._

Beth, her eyes wide, looked back up to the wood cutter. The enemy. The insect. He ran toward her. She felt something heavy in her hand, and glanced down at a weapon. The bloody axe. Her gaze returned to the wood cutter. He stopped, his hands empty and confusion apparent on his shadowed yellow grin was now turned downward as he saw his weapon in her hands. She clenched it as she stepped forward, her mind numb. She stepped over Jonathan's body, which dissolved away, leaving her and the insect alone.

She ran forward, the axe in the air.

And screamed.

She swung down hard, and sliced the wood cutter in half. Air rasped loudly through her throat as the shadow melted away. Her vision blurred, and she fell over into the darkness.

...

"Beth, wake up, now." someone demanded. Beth opened her eyes slowly to see Ra's looking down at her. Relief showed on his face, and he helped her sit up. She was dizzy, and had a pounding headache. Chance was next t her, still sleeping. "How long was I out?" she asked.

"Only some minutes. The flower has that effect. It's very taxing on energy." he said. Beth nodded, and stared at the fire.

"I screamed..." she said.

"I heard."

"I failed."

"Did you really?" he asked. She nodded.

"I made a sound, a very loud one." she said.

"But was it a fearful one?" he asked. She paused at his response, and he itched his chin. "You see, that outburst sounded much more angry than fearful. Where you angry?"

"...yes..."

"Why?"

"He killed Jonathan..." she answered, her voice hollow. It was so realistic, she actually believed it.

"Who did?"

"The wood cutter." she answered.

"And what did you do?" Ra's asked, deciding not to question the wood cutter's existence.

"I heard an odd noise, a sort of break...and I went numb. I somehow had the axe...and I cut him in half..."

"I take it that was when you screamed?" Ra's asked. She nodded. He smirked. "It seems you took my advice about beating your fear quite literally." he said. "In any case, you passed the test. Congratulations."

Beth nodded, staring at the flames in from of her. She beat her fear.

So, why didn't she feel satisfied?

Chance snorted in his sleep, and she just continued to stare into the flickering orange and red.

...

"Alright," Ra's said to her the next afternoon. They were just outside the village where she had healed six years before. It hadn;t changed in the least bit. He handed her a small case. "In here is your new identity, the address of the place you will be staying at, the keys to your new car, and your doctor's license." she took it from him.

"Doctor's license?" she asked. He nodded.

"Yes, you are a twenty-seven year old psychiatric doctor who just received a job at Arkham Asylum that you will report to bright and early on Monday morning." he said. "I figured that you might want to see Dr. Crane first before telling him of your true existence. You won't have to keep from him for long, but just keep a safe distance until you're caught up with his past. Six years can change any person, remember, and he may not be the same doctor you remember. He was checked into Arkham two weeks ago."

"Of course." she said. "Do I look twenty-seven?" she asked. He smiled.

"So many things to worry about, and that's what you choose? No, you don't look at all that age, but I hardly believe that they would believe an eighteen year old girl had achieved a doctorate." he said.

"Oh, alright." she said. A car rolled up to them, and Chance jumped in front of Beth, shielding her from it, his ears flat, his fur bristled. He'd never seen an automobile, and Beth knew she'd have a grand time helping him get used to it all.

"Don't worry, where you'll be staying, cars and things of that nature will be scarce. It's located outside of town, and is secluded by a wooded area. He should be comfortable, and undisturbed." he said. Relief washed over her.

"Thank God..."

"Now, a private plane will take you directly to Gotham. Once you arrive, you'll be taken to the car I've provided for you. From there, you'll have to make your own way to your living area."

"I can do that." she said.

"I know you can." he said, and held out his hand. She took it, expecting to shake, but was surprised when he bent over and kissed it. "Goodbye, lady Bethany. Our shared time has been...interesting." he said, and smiled at her before letting her hand go and walking away. "Until we see each other again." he called back as he walked back towards the village.

Beth watched him go, then took her bags and walked to the awaiting car. A young man opened the trunk and helped her placed the bags inside. She kept the case he gave her with her, not daring to let it out of her sight. She opened the door and looked back to Chance, who was slowly creeping up to the rumbling automobile. She rolled her eyes.

"C'mon, you big scaredy cat." she said, and tapped the top of the car reassuredly. Seemingly satisfied with her calmness toward it, Chance trotted up to the car. She climbed into the car and patted the seat to beckon him inside. He whimpered at the small space, his tail tucked between his legs. She huffed.

This would be a while.

...

She was thankful when they finally landed. It was dark out, and they had landed in a large field. Chance jumped out of the sleek plane as fast as he could. Beth followed, tired from the trip, mostly because of that infuriating animal. It had taken her over fifteen minutes to coax Chance into the car at the village. So it was especially taxing trying to get him to climb the stair into the plane. After an hour, he was in when she finally shoved him through the entrance, ad he only panicked the entire flight, whining and moving constantly as she tried desperately to sooth him. None of the staff went into the passenger area the entire time because of the jumpy wolf, and they too seemed thankful the two were off the plane.

Beth was grateful of the warm air that surrounded her, and she couldn't wait to wear short sleeves again. Chance sniffed the air with immense curiosity. A young woman pointed her to the direction of a car some yards away. Beth's car. She thanked the woman and walked towards it, her bags and suitcase in hand. Chance stayed close to her, his eyes scanning the unfamiliar area. When they reached the car, a silver minivan big enough to fit Chance inside, she opened the suitcase to take her keys. When she picked them up,she noticed that hooked to the keyring was a cloth replica of the strange blue flower. She smiled, and grabbed the address from the papers before she closed the case with a snap before getting in and starting the van. She opened the back and tossed her things inside, then gestured for Chance to get inside. He jumped in, and she figured that compared to the plane, the van was nothing for him to worry about. She shut the back and climbed back into the van.

She drove slowly, getting a feel for the gas and brake as well as the steering wheel, remembering what Jonathan had taught her about how cars functioned should she need to get away from someone. When Beth was confident, she picked up some speed, and drove down a path in the field to the main road. She saw the blinking lights of Gotham City from some miles ahead, and she grinned as she read the address she was to go to.

"Jonathan Crane, I hope you aren't afraid of ghosts..."

...

**Author's Note: Ahh, so close! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! The reviews are awesome, thank ya! Stay tuned! ;D**


	13. Bethany Is A Doctor

Sunlight crept in through the bedroom window and landed softly on Beth's sleeping face. Minutes later, her eyes fluttered open and she stretched in appreciation of a good night's sleep. It had been a horribly long time since she'd waken up after sunrise, and, though it was only seven thirty a.m., she was still feeling smug about being able to sleep in for a few hours. She sat up and looked around her new bedroom. It was modest, with a simple white queen sized bed, a dresser, a closet, and a door leading to a master bathroom. Beth looked at the bed next to her and frowned. After so many night sleeping on a stiff cot, she found the puffy mattress to be much too soft for her back.

A light snore from the top of the bed brought Beth's eyes to Chance's sleeping body, and she smiled. He certainly had no trouble with the mattress, and slept soundly, his ears and paws twitching. Beth stretched again before standing herself up from the blanket and pillow she used to sleep on the night before and walked out of her bedroom to the hall, then down to the living room, where a couch, coffee table, bookshelf, and television greeted her. She slumped onto the couch, then picked up the remote and attempted to figure out how it worked. One thing that was completely new to her was working the television...

The house itself was a comfortable size, large enough for a person to live in comfortably. It was of simple build, with a living room, dining room/kitchen, two bathrooms and a bedroom. Ra's was right when he said the house was by a wooded area. It was right in the center of it, and it took Beth nearly ten minutes to drive down the wooded path to finally park in the clearing in front of the house. Chance would have little to no troubles out here.

"Hopefully he'll be up to switching over to dog food." she muttered, and finally pushed the power button on the remote when she found it. The screen on the television lit up, showing a red haired woman with a microphone in hand. The news. Beth watched as the reporter Vicki Vale informed of a robbery that took place at a convenience store just the night before. "Back in Gotham for six hours and I'm already hearing about violence." Beth muttered, remembering what Ra's said about modern society. He was spot-on.

A snort from the hall brought Beth's attention to Chance, who was sleepily making his way into the living room, occasionally tripping over his large feet. He ran his head into the coffee table, and he huffed before sitting down next to her. She smiled at him as he eyed the television warily and she pet his neck.

"You never were a morning person." she said. Suddenly, the image of Jonathan crossed her mind. He never was a morning person either.

Jonathan.

Sighing, she tucked her feet under her. It was only Saturday, and her job at Arkham started on Monday morning at eight a.m. This would be a long two days for her. She looked over at the open suitcase on the coffee table that held all of her credentials. Her fake i.d., her fake license, her fake diplomas. An entire fake life in a small case. She'd also found in an envelope ten thousand dollars worth of cash to help her along, and she instantly resolved to place most of it in her fake bank account.

She'd read last night before going to bed that her name was Jacquelin Landon, PhD. She just recently graduated from a university in Massachusets and had only just arrived to the city a month before. Beth had discovered under the basic information a helpful stack of information she would need to know about her job. After all, she never really did become a doctor, and she knew very little about what a psychiatrist did professionally.

Beth looked over to the bookshelf. It was covered from shelf to shelf in psychiatric material that she was sure she'd be studying religiously into the night during her charade. Surely it wouldn't be too hard to ask questions to patients. She took on a concerned expression and tapped her chin.

"Uh-huh, uh-huh. And how does that make you feel?" she asked an imaginary patient, and smirked. She checked the time on a clock that hung from the wall the television was placed at. It was nearly eight a.m. "Right now I'd be sparring..." she muttered, and chewed her lip, boredom starting to set in. She didn't bring much gear with her, just two short swords and her leather protectors. She didn't even bring Chance's gear with her. She'd have to find someone to make him some new armor.

"Whelp, might as well do something..." she said, and turned off the television. Jumping off the couch, she walked back to her room and opened the closet where she dumped her bags. Hanging up was an assortment of blouses, womens' suit jackets, and dress pants. All professional. Beth suspected that would be the dress code for her new work place. In the back hung some plain shirts. Compared to the usual thick fabric she wore in China to protect from the cold, the material in front of seemed flimsy, not that she minded. She grabbed a green short sleeve and looked down at the bottom shelf to take a pair of black sweat pants.

When she was changed, she tied her hair back into a ponytail and went outside with chance. The area was certainly secluded, and the thick canopy overhead almost blocked out the sun in some areas, only allowing small slivers of light to shine through the clutters of leaves. Most of the trees were Red Maples, and their thick, gnarled branches twisted outward, welcoming anyone to climb them to the very top to touch the assortment of red and orange leaves. Beth walked up to one of them, crunching the dried leaves under her feet as she stepped. She jumped up and grabbed hold of one of the branches, then began doing pull-ups. Just because she didn't have a stern instructor anymore didn't mean she could slack off. She didn't work her ass off for six years just to become lazy.

After some minutes of that, she hauled herself up to sit on the branch and rest her arms. She watched Chance roll over onto his back in the leaves and worm around, his tongue hanging out of is mouth. He was obviously having a good time in his new environment, relieving Beth of any worries about him adjusting to this new life. A squirrel chattering caught Chance's attention, and he rolled over onto his stomach to intently watch the creature as it darted cautiously about. He licked his chops, then pounced at it, scaring the poor creature out of it's mind. Beth laughed as the the two scrambled through the area until the Squirrel finally ran up a tree, chattering madly. If animals could curse...

She scooted over by the trunk and leaned against it. Clasping her hands behind her head, she looked up at the canopy above her. The twinkling sunlight lulled her to a calmed state, and for a moment, she didn't even want to move.

Chance, in his playful mood, must have sensed this, for not a moment after Beth closed her eyes to enjoy the sound of leaves falling, he ran forward and howled loudly just beneath her, sending her shocked and panicked body roughly to the ground. She sat up, outraged, and glowered at the big wolf from behind her tousled bangs.

"You're an ass..." she said, and stood up to brush the leaves and dirt off of her. Chance walked up behind her and pushed her forward with his head, ushering her to walk with him. Sighing, Beth did as he wished, and the two walked down the path that lead to the main roads. Birds chirped brightly from their hidden homes in the large trees. An odd variety of wild flowers bloomed in patches of purple and pink along the borders of the path. Beth stooped down and picked one to smell. The scent was faint, but sweet. She showed it to Chance, who cast a disinterested gaze away from the thing. He wanted to explore. What time did he have to sniff such a trivial object?

Beth shrugged and tossed the flower to the ground before they continued, the peace once again bringing her to a calm. She gave a tired grin.

This place was pretty sweet.

...

"Ha! Wha! _Wazzat!_?" Beth shot up from her makeshift bed on the floor, her head turning rapidly to find the source of that infernal noise that surprised her out of sleep. She looked to the nightstand, where her alarm clock blared, the digits reading six a.m. Beth huffed and reached over to turn it off. She never used an alarm clock before, and already she wanted to smash it with a hammer. Blinking away the sleep from her eyes, she stood. Chance was waiting outside the bedroom door, his tail tucked between his legs and his head low.

"Aww, did the big bad clock scare you?" she asked, and scratched his head n reassurance before going to the closet and picking out something to wear.

It was Monday, and she was going to make herself look as presentable as possible for these people she'd be working with. A giddy giggle escaped her lips when another thought crossed her mind.

She'd see Jonathan.

After six long years, she'd see Jonathan again. Even though she couldn't just yet tell him who she was, she was still as excited as a small child on Christmas day.

"What if he recognizes me?" her mouth asked without her knowing. She paused. What if he did? How would he react? Would he be happy she's alive? Angry that she lied? Would he even care? Her mood slightly dampened, she chose a Black suit jacket and dress pants with a red blouse. Happy with the selection, she began to change.

...

"Dr. Landon! Hello!"

"Who? _Oh, _yes, that's me. Of course."

Beth felt sweat form on her brow. As she took a woman's hand to shake. She was already messing up.

_Shit shit shit shit shit shit-_

"My name is Dr. Leland. A little nervous?" the woman asked. Beth smiled shyly and nodded.

"Just a hint. It's my first day, after all." she said.

"Of course. That's expected from anyone." Leland said kindly. "Now, since today is your first day, you'll be escorted by one of the doctors through the asylum so you may get an idea about where everything is at. Then you'll be taken to your office, where you'll be given the files for your first case. You'll study them today and tonight, then have your first session with your assigned patient tomorrow at the set time, alright?"

"Alright." Beth said, and nodded in such a way that her ponytail jumped in a comical manner.

"Here's your coat, Dr. Landon. Your I.D. is located in the pocket. I advise to get a lanyard for it, since it needs to be shown at all times." Dr. Leland handed Beth a long white coat that reached her knees, and she eagerly put it on.

"This is cool." she said with a grin.

"Ah, the newcomer." said a new voice. A man's voice. Beth looked up to see another doctor walking toward them. He wore large rectangular glasses, and had perfectly straight brown hair that was shaped in a ridiculous bowl cut that reached just above his ears.

"Dr. Landon, this is Dr. Arkham, head doctor and warden of the asylum. His uncle, Amadeus Arkham, built the facility." Leland pointed out. Beth smiled at him and held her hand out to shake his. He kept his hands clasped behind his back, and merely looked at her with a critical glare. Beth swallowed, and dropped her hand, slightly embarrassed.

"I run a tight institute here, Dr. Landon, and I expect nothing more than one hundred percent from my staff. If there is any sign of anyone slacking off, they will be escorted to the exit, never to work here again. I only accept the best, and I do not like to be disappointed." he said.

"I won't disappoint, sir." she said back to him, her voice even.

"We'll see..." he said, and walked away. When he was gone, Beth wrinkled her nose.

"Asshole, much?" she asked. Leland raised a brow in amusement.

"Now, doctor, we can't be making insults." she said.

"I could have been way more insulting..." Beth muttered, and Leland laughed.

"That is understandable. Ah, here's Barry, er, Dr. Charmin." she said. Another man walked up to them. His blonde hair was short, and he winked at them with one of his blue eyes as he flashed a charming smile with dentist commercial worthy teeth.

"Hey, ladies." he said, and stopped when he saw Beth, his brows raised in interest. "Lady," he began, "you can't be twenty-seven." he said. Beth thought that she should have been flattered by the comment, but oddly found herself feeling disgruntled.

"It's Dr. Landon, and why do you say that?" she asked, not noticing herself straightening up and hooding her eyes at Dr. Charmin. He held his hands up.

"Whoa, my apologies, doctor. I was just so captivated by your stunning beauty is all." he said, and winked at her again. Beth remained unimpressed.

"Uh-huh..." she said, and crossed her arms. Dr. Leland smirked.

"It seems that someone is finally uneffected by your charms, Dr. Charmin." she said. Dr. Charmin took on a look of dramatic hurt.

"Impossible!" he said, and waved the joke away. "Ah, well, it's just my luck. Anyway, I'm here to escort you through the asylum, help you get a feel for everything." he said placing some emphasis on 'feel'. Beth nearly blanched.

"Alright then, I'll leave it to you then. I'll see you later, Dr. Landon." Dr. Leland said, and walked off to take care of her own duties for the day.

"So..." Dr. Charmin said. Beth slowly turned to face him, feeling depressed that she was stuck with this guy. He held his arm up for her to take. "Shall we?"

...

"And that's the end of our tour for the east wing." Dr. Charmin said some hours later. They'd just exited where the majority of the patients were kept. Beth was surprised to not be too disturbed by their odd motions and the strange noises they made when they saw her. She found herself a little more irritated that she hadn't seen Jonathan yet. Maybe she wouldn't see him today. Tomorrow? When? Her thoughts were interrupted by her aching feet.

"There is so much of this place. It's amazing how everyone keeps up with it." she said, wiggling her uncomfortable toes in her black flat bottom shoes as she walked. "Let alone remember where everything is."

"Oh, it gets easier after a few weeks. I figured it out pretty quick. No big deal." he said. Beth rolled her eyes at him. Throughout this entire tour, all he did was boast about himself and how well he could work this or that. It was aggravating. "And here is the beginning to the west wing!"

"What's in here?" she asked.

"The high risk patients."

"Aren't all of these patients high risk? It's an asylum for the_ criminally insane..._" she said. He nodded at her statement.

"Yup, but these ones are particularly high risk, because, well, they're crazy and smart at the same time."

"Who?"

"We call this hall the Rogue Gallery. Does that give you a clue?" he asked. Beth's jaw clenched.

"Joker..."

"Yup."

"Poison Ivy..."

"Of course."

"...Scarecrow?"

"Most definitely. And they're all back here. Before we go in, you might wanna prepare yourself. They're notoriously known for messing with the doctor's heads, which is why I guess the doctors here are always coming and going. Some, unlike Dr. Leland and myself, just can't handle it." Dr. Charmin said. Beth furrowed her brow.

"I-I can handle it..." she said. Jonathan was behind that door. She felt her pulse quicken.

_Shit shit shit shit shit shit-_

"Maybe we should do this later-"

"No, I'm fine!" Beth snapped, and straightened out her jacket. Taking a deep breath, she forced her composer to return, and she nodded for him to open the door. He punched a code into a small tablet, and the door clicked open, granting them access. Beth stepped inside the single hallway in great interest. It was incredibly long, and on each wall was a line of large cells you could look inside through a wall she guessed was made from plexi-glass. Dr. Charmin caught up with her and took the lead.

"And here, doctor, are the infamous Rogues, and the gallery we keep them in. We have nuts of all kinds. Ones that like plants, ones that like clay, etcetera, etcetera. Browse as much as you want!" he said. Beth wanted to whirl around and punch him in the face, but instead placed her fists into her coat pockets.

"Shut the fuck up, Barry..." someone's silky voice said from one of the cells. It was Poison Ivy, and she appeared to have just awoken from a nap. She sat up from her cot and glared at the doctor. He strode over to her cell and flashed his brilliant smile.

"Only if you agree to go on a romantic cruise with me, lovely goddess." he quipped. Ivy gave a cruel sneer.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I have other plans. But, I have a venus fly trap who'd just _love _to have you over for dinner. She loves insects, you see..."

"You hurt me, madam."

"Not yet..." Ivy looked from Dr. Charmin to Beth, and smiled. "If it isn't a little wildflower...wherever did you come from?" she asked. Her soft tone made Beth feel uneasy.

"She's a new doctor. I'm showing her around. For some reason, I can't get her to agree to go out with me, either..." he said with a pout.

"She merely has good taste, Barry. Don't feel bad..." Ivy said, then gave Beth one more glance before turning away from them to tend to a small potted rose on the floor.

"Well, that's Ivy." Dr. Charmin said, and began to walk with her again down the hall. "Charming woman..." Beth smirked when she saw that he seemed slightly put down by Ivy's last statement. Good.

"Oooooh, looky Mr. J! A_ newby_!" Beth heard from the next cell down.

Harley.

There was absolutely no mistaking that excited Jersey accent. Beth waved kindly to her and smiled at the woman, who's face was pressed up against the glass to get a better look.

"What's that, Harls? A new plaything?" Joker asked. His scarred mouth stretched into a smile. Beth found it weird to see his makeup gone and his wavy hair pulled back into a short ponytail. "Ooo, you look fun, toots..." he said.

"Back off, clown." Dr. Charmin snapped at him. Joker wasn't phased.

"Oh, sorry Barry, I didn't know I was invading on your territory. Maybe you should piss on her so we don't make that mistake again, hahahahahaaa!" he ended with a laugh, and Barry's face went bright red.

"You sick-"

"Whoa, whoa, Barry!" Joker waved his hands in the air. "It was a joke! No way would she ever be your territory. This one might have standards!" he said, and cackled as Barry picked up his pace. Beth caught up with him.

"Wow, they're being relentless on you. I'm surprised I haven't gotten the same treatment."

"You will. They just don't know you yet. They have nothing to work with." he said. Beth nodded in understanding at this and they continued on.

"There's Clayface, Great White, Riddler-" Dr. Charmin counted off the Rogues' villain names as they passed each one's cell. Beth wondered why he wasn't calling them by their proper names. It seemed unprofessional, but then again, there wasn't anything professional about this person.

"Scarecrow-"

"What?"

"Scarecrow, over there." Dr. Charmin pointed to a cell just next to them, and Beth spun around to see, excitement hardly containing itself inside her.

The cell was empty.

"Wait..." Dr. Charmin walked over to the empty cell and read off a small clipboard hanging by it. "Oh, okay. I was worried. He's in a session right now. All the better for us. He's pretty creepy." he said. Beth couldn't believe it. All this waiting just to find out that he's busy with other things. She wanted to stamp her foot impatiently like a small child, but kept herself calm.

"Oh..." was all she said.

"You alright? You don't seem too happy." Dr. Charmin said, noting the hint of anger that showed on her face.

"Oh, no, I'm fine. It's just been a long day, and all that." she said, and waved the discussion away.

"Alright, cool. Let's get out of here. I hate when they start staring." he said, casting a suspicious glance at Harley, who was watching them intently.

"Yes, alright." Beth said. She turned to walk back towards the doors, but ran into something.

No, someone.

She quickly apologized to who she bumped into and adjusted her coat. As she did, she noticed the person's hands were in cuffs, and that they were wearing an orange jumpsuit. She looked up to the person's face.

"There he is." Dr. Charmin said flatly.

Jonathan Crane.

...

**Author's Note: Aaaaaaaaand _cliffhanger_. I know you guys just_ love _those. *dodges various sharp objects as they are thrown* **

**Stay tuned! ;D**


	14. Bethany Is Hit On

"There he is."

Beth froze, her wide grey eyes meeting Jonathan's calculating brown ones as he looked down his nose at her through his rectangular glasses.

"You might want to watch were you're going." he said irritably. "You never know who you might bump into in this place..." Two orderlies flanked him, each had a firm grasp on his arms.

"Quiet, Crane." one said.

"You must be new..." he went on, ignoring the orderly and keeping his gaze locked with Beth's.

"What makes you say that?" she asked, straining every fiber of her being to keep her voice from wavering.

"My dear, I once headed this miserable place. I know a newcomer when I see one." he said, then examined her attire. "Just the fact that your identification isn't presently shown practically screams 'first day'." One of the orderlies opened the door to his cell, and he was led inside.

"Make anyone bleed today, Straw-Man?" Joker called.

"No..." Jonathan said boredly as the orderlies removed his cuffs. He rubbed his wrists when they were done and they walked out and locked him inside. "I'm feeling rather fatigued today, so I sat through the session like a good boy. At the end, Maitland actually thought he was making progress. These doctors today...I guess the universities just pass out doctorates like candy now." he said, looking once again at Beth. "You would know about that, wouldn't you, my dear?" he asked. Beth frowned at his insult.

"My name is Dr. Landon, and I would appreciate it if you referred to me as such." she said to him. Behind her, Dr. Charmin smirked. Jonathan only quirked a brow and swept back a strand of his wiry dark red hair.

"You speak as if you have pride in your title, and that people should respect it." He said. "You're incorrect. You've yet to earn my respect, and I will not treat you with something such as that until you prove yourself worthy, _Miss _Landon." Beth felt her cheeks become hot. This was _not _how she imagined meeting him again. He smiled at her discomfort, and that made her angrier. She smiled back.

"Alright then. Duly noted Mr. Crane. I'll be sure to work hard and earn that respect." she said sweetly. His eyes narrowed.

"Dr. Crane." he said.

"I'm sorry?" she asked.

"My title is _Dr. _Crane, and, unlike you, I've earned that. Don't play with me." he said. She smiled at him.

"Oh, but _Mr. _Crane, did you not say that in order for you to refer to me as Dr. Landon, that I must first earn your respect? Well, I've yet to feel any respect towards you, so why should I refer to you by something that has been stripped from you anyway? It's only fair, after all..." she said.

Absolute silence filled the hall.

Completely.

Utterly.

_Quiet..._

The following flood of laughter and jeers from the other inmates nearly made Beth jump in surprise.

"Ooooo! She's fisty! You gonna take that, Straw-Man?!" Joker cackled.

"You got this, Dr. Crane!" Harley cheered.

"It seems someone finally got him to shut up..." Poison Ivy whispered to her rose.

"This should be fun." Riddler said in keen interest.

Jonathan walked over to the glass wall and rest his arm against it as he leaned over to glare harshly at Beth. The Rogues quieted down to hear his rebuttal.

"You dare speak to me in such a condescending attitude. Have you any idea who I am?" he asked quietly, harshness dripping from his words. They didn't phase Beth in the least. She was too angry to care.

"I know plenty about _you_, Mr. Crane. The question is, do you know who_ I _am?" she asked. His eyes narrowed into slits.

"What exactly are you trying to get at?"

"Nothing. I'm just saying that you shouldn't underestimate someone you know absolutely nothing about." she said. Jonathan paused, studying her face.

"You don't seem to be at all afraid of me..." he said.

"Should I be?" Beth asked, knowing it would get to him. He smiled instead.

"If you truly knew me like you _say,_ Miss Landon, then you most certainly _would_ be..." he said. Beth sniffed.

"Or maybe," she said, looking directly at him. "I'm just not afraid of you. Maybe," she stepped closer to him, sizing him up. "You just aren't _scary._.."

That did it.

The new wave of raucous laughter easily beat the last, each inmate howling in such a way that they nearly reminded Beth of Chance. They banged the walls with their fists and joyful tears welled in their eyes from the pain caused in their stomachs by all the laughing.

Dr. Jonathan Crane.

The Scarecrow.

The Master of Fear itself.

Just isn't scary to some woman...

It was gold.

The orderlies ordered the inmates to calm down, and they slowly did as instructed. Beth smirked at Jonathan when all was calm. His usually reserved face showed a light flush of color from the words she dared to say to him. His eyes bore into her. She turned from him to Dr. Charmin.

"I think we've spent enough time here, Dr. Charmin. Shall we go now?" she asked. He nodded and lead her away. The inmates clapped in approval toward her as she walked, appreciating the job well done at besting one of them. She'd be an interesting doctor, alright.

"Dead doc walking!" Joker shouted at her.

"Nicely done, Dr. Landon..." Ivy said to her before she was out the door. "You're welcome to my garden any time..." Beth waved to Ivy, and she was out. When the door closed behind them, Dr. Charmin spun on her, his face beaming.

"Did God send you from Heaven, because you are an angel! Where'd you get the guts to talk back to that guy?" he asked.

"It was only a small argument." Beth said.

"With one of this asylum's most _dangerous_, and you _won_. That doesn't happen often. Don't think he won't come back for another fight." he said, and Beth shrugged.

"Okay..." she said. Dr. Charmin blinked at her comment, then laughed.

"This chick's made of steel. Let's go, we still have the grounds and medical lab to explore, and then you're on your own." he said.

"Fine..." Beth said, mentally groaning at the fact that they still had more areas to walk to. All she wanted to do right now was sit in her office, but, apparently, judging by the look on his face, that wouldn't be happening any time soon. She followed Dr. Charmin towards the exit. Yes, there was desperate need for a break.

...

"Riddle me this: What's going on in the good doctor's brain..." Riddler called from his cell. Everyone who could see him had their eyes on Jonathan. He was pacing slowly, a thoughtful expression on his face. His hands were clasped behind his back, and his fingers fidgeted robotically.

"That girl must have really set a fire under his ass..." Joker said. Jonathan's eyes darted to the clown, who was playing a game of solitaire with a set of cards he had smuggled in.

"What makes ya say that, Mr. J?" Harley asked with a giggle. Joker smiled over at his accomplice.

"Well, besides the, ah,_ painfully _obvious..." he muttered, gesturing to Jonathan's current state. Jonathan stopped when he didn't go on, and walked over to the glass.

"What else, clown?" he asked. Joker grinned.

"The fact that you're not doing anything about it tells me that she really got to you. I know that if someone like that little minx questioned _my _profession, I'd already be out of here, running to teach her a lesson on manners..." he said. Jonathan smirked.

"On the contrary, Joker, I've been planning just that. I was only witing until that infernal idiot Charmin brought her back to her office. The tour should be over now..." He walked over to the right wall. On it was a small panel with a single button that an inmate could press when they were in need of assistance. He pressed it, and a loud buzzing echoed through the hall. The door at the end of the hall opened shortly afterward, and an orderly walked in.

"Who called?" he asked.

"I did, orderly." Jonathan called, and the orderly walked down to his cell.

"What is it, Crane?" he asked.

"It_ seems_ I need to use the facilities, orderly. If you'd be so kind as to escort me to the restroom?" Jonathan asked. The orderly analyzed him for a moment, as if trying to tell whether or not the doctor was lying.

"Back up away from the glass." he said finally, taking the keys from his belt. Jonathan did as instructed, and the orderly opened the glass door, brandishing a set of cuffs. "Hand against the wall-_ugh_!"

The orderly fell in a heap to the floor after Jonathan kicked him in the stomach. Jonathan then grabbed the orderlies hair and smashed his head against the wall, knocking him out. He took the keys from him and strolled out of the cell before closing and locking it.

"I'll be right back..." he said to his fellow inmates before leaving the gallery to find the one who so openly vexed him. "Dear _miss_ Landon.."

...

"And, that's the end of that." Dr. Charmin said. Beth took a breath of relief as they stopped in front of her new office. On the door, it read 'Jacquelin Landon, PhD'.

"Thanks for the tour Dr. Charmin. I'll see you around." she said, and reached for the door handle to walk in. He stopped her, and leaned against the door.

"So...got any plans on Friday night?" he asked. Beth looked at him.

"Why?" she asked. She'd never been 'hit on' before, so she didn't recognize his flirting right away. This was a foreign subject to her, and she did not speak the language.

"Just wondering if you were doing anything." he said. Beth furrowed her brow.

"_Why_?"

Dr. Charmin blinked. Was this really happening? He coughed into his hand, trying to hide his amusement.

"Oh, nothing, I was just wondering if you'd like to do anything with me sometime."

"Like what?"

"..."

"..."

"Oh, I see what you're doing." he said finally, a grin on his face. "You cheeky devil, you. I never thought about doing something like that before to turn someone down. I get it, I get it, but I'm stealing that technique from you, just saying." he said, and began to walk away. "I'll see you later, beautiful!" he waved, and disappeared behind the corner.

Beth stood at her door for a moment, wondering what the hell just happened.

"I don't understand that guy..." she muttered, not thinking of that as a bed thing. She shook her head and opened the door to her office. It was a reasonable size, large enough for a desk, some shelves and some filing cabinets. She walked over to her desk and sat in the cushioned chair behind it. After that, she leaned over and rest her head on her folded arms. The silence that followed was much welcome, after hours of Charmin talking her ears off and giving her a splitting headache. Now she just closed her eyes and took her much needed break.

Moments later, she was asleep.

...

"Wake up, fool..."

"Ugh, ten more minutes, Jonathan..." Beth muttered in her hardly conscious state. She sniffed and adjusted her head to fit better on her arms.

Her eyes shot open.

"Now we're on a first name basis? You're a surprising character, miss Landon..." the voice sneered. Beth sat up quickly, all signs of sleep gone. Jonathan sat in the chair in front of her desk, his chin resting on the palm of his hand.

"Jon-Mr. Crane!" she said. "Why aren't you in your cell?"

"I just wanted to come by and visit. Scared?" he asked. Beth found her voice, and scowled at him.

"No, Mr. Crane." She said. "If you think coming into my office will intimidate me, you're wrong. It's juvenile."

"Interesting. Should you really be sleeping on the job? What if it was Arkham in here and not me? You'd be in trouble."

"Are you saying I'm not in trouble with you?"

"Of course you are, not that you would care. You aren't afraid, remember?" he said. "Not yet, anyway..."

"Meaning?" she asked. Jonathan's silent reply made her wary, and she cleared her throat. "What is it you'll do?" she asked. He smiled at her as if he'd been waiting for that question. From his sleeve, he pulled a small vial of yellow liquid.

"You know what this is..." he stated, noting the look of shock on her face.

"Where did you get that?" she asked. He rolled the vial between his fingers.

"We all of us Rogues here have some of our supply hidden here within the asylum, mainly for our escaping needs. We may be imprisoned here, but we are still armed to the teeth, believe you me." he said.

"So..." Beth said, her eyes glued to the yellowed liquid as it swirled threateningly from inside its glass casing. The color was light. Beth thought of the assortment of vials she saw in Jonathan's lab when she was younger, remembering how as the color became darker, the intensity increased. Some calm returned to her. "You're resorting to using chemicals to make me afraid, since you can't do it yourself..." she said. Jonathan growled, and smashed the vial onto the table before she could react. Fumes rose from the spilled liquid, and Beth coughed as they invaded her lungs. Jonathan had taken some steps back, a small respirator covering his mouth. No doubt another tool from his supply stash.

Beth braced herself and watched her surroundings change in front of her, the room contorting and twisting out of its correct proportions. The lights flickered off, leaving her and Jonathan in the dark. She heard him laugh, her mind altering it to a high pitched shriek of a cackle. She felt her pulse quicken, but she kept her mouth shut and stared directly at Jonathan. He looked like he did before when she used the flower, only less gruesome. He was merely bloodied. She sighed through her nose, still uncomfortable with the sight. She gripped the arms of her chair, her glare fixed at his disturbing face. She could wait. Compared to that flower, this was nothing...

Jonathan had watched her shiver as soon as the fumes hit her, and he waited with anticipated pleasure for the inevitable scream of terror to rip from her lungs. That's why his eyes widened in amazement and anger when it never came. He fixed a fowl gaze on her defiant face as she stared directly back.

"What are you doing?" he asked. A single blink of her eyes was her answer. For a moment he considered that she was one of those people who completely shut up when encased in fear, but her expression of rebelliousness threw that estimate out the window. She didn't look afraid. Why?

From her seat, Beth noticed his aggravation through the hallucinated blood. She smiled. "S-something wrong?" she asked through her teeth.

"Why aren't you screaming?" his warped voice spat. His hollow eyes burned red. She swallowed before answering.

"Like I s-said; You don't scare me..." she said.

Jonathan threw the respirator against the wall. He was done playing games. He stomped over to her, ignoring the fumes, and grabbed her throat.

"You_ will _scream for me!" He shouted at her. She closed her mouth again. If she was to die by his hand, then so be it. She'd die. Again.

When she refused to respond, he cursed and threw her to the floor. She grunted in pain when her head hit the floor.

"Rude..." she muttered, and she closed her eyes to keep from becoming dizzy.

"Dr. Landon, I heard-Crane?!" Beth heard someone's voice shout in surprise. She couldn't tell who it was, their voice was too twisted. "Orderlies! Here, now!" the voice called quickly. Beth heard some commotion, then silence. A hand rested on her arm, and she opened her eyes to look up at a disfigured Dr. Leland, who's mouth was sewn shut and her eyes were missing from their black sockets. Beth coughed in surprise at it, and sat up. "We need to get her to the medical wing, now! Have an antidote to the toxin ready!" Leland said to someone outside. Beth shook her head.

"No, I'm fine...I'm fine. The toxin is weak...it's nothing." she said.

"It's not just that, Dr. Landon. Your head is bleeding. We need to have it looked at." Dr. Leland said, and walked her slowly to the door. Beth reached a shaky hand up to touch her head. When she brought it down, it was stained with red.

She blacked out.

...

"I'm fine, really." Beth said a while after waking up in the medical ward. She was sitting up in her cot, her head bandaged and an IV in her arm. "I don't need all of this."

"You have a slight concussion, Dr. Landon." said the doctor next to her as he ticked off things on his clipboard. "Slight it might be, it's still very serious. Still, you're lucky you got away with just that." he said.

"He looked livid when I entered." Dr. Leland said from a chair near the bed. "I haven't seen Dr. Crane that angry in a long while. Dr. Charmin had told me that you had an argument with him when you first met. What was it about?" she asked. Beth shrugged.

"I told him he wasn't scary." she said. Dr. Leland shook her head.

"That makes sense. Did you have words with him when he went into your office?"

"Yes, I said he wasn;t scary a second time."

"Triggering the attack?"

"Yes."

"Gutsy girl..." the doctor with the clipboard said. "But you should learn to filter what you say, especially around patients like Crane. Even when he was a doctor here, he didn't like people challenging him."

"Obviously..." Beth muttered. She rubbed her neck, which was now showing dark bruises where he'd grabbed her. She wondered if he'd feel any remorse when she finally told him who she was. Probably not. Even though she was still angry with him, she accepted the fact that she baited him. She frowned, knowing that this all never would have happened if he'd just didn't act like an ass...

"You should probably go home for the day, Dr. Landon. You don't have to come in tomorrow, if you don't-"

"No, I'll come in tomorrow. And I'm staying. I won't let something like this get to me. That's stupid." she said before Dr. Leland could finish. If she left now, Jonathan would win. That wouldn't happen. Dr. Leland gave a sad smile and stood. She gave a file to Beth.

"Well then, this is your first case file. Please study it before you come in tomorrow. Your session begins at ten a.m. sharp." she said. "When the doctor is done with you, you may return to your office. It should be cleared of that toxin by now." she said, and left Beth to look over the file. She opened it to see a stack of papers with the picture of an aged man with thinning white hair. His round spectacles made his eyes look beady as he looked nervously up at her.

"Well, Mr. Arnold Wesker." she said, reading the name. "I'll see you tomorrow..."

...

Jonathan kicked the glass harshly, ignoring the dull pain it introduced to his foot. He cursed under his breath and paced his cell.

"_So_..." Joker said from his cot, propping his head up on his hands and swinging his feet in the air, "How'd it go?" he asked sweetly. Jonathan's angry growl answered him. "That bad, huh?" Joker asked.

"She didn't scream. She didn't even fucking whimper!" Jonathan shouted. "She just looked at me and laughed! _Laughed _in my face!"

"Did you use toxin?" Riddler asked. The other inmates were listening now, very interested in the Doc's answer.

"Yes..." he said. "And not. One. Single. Scream..."

"Maybe you should up the dosage, Dr. Crane." Harley suggested helpfully.

"I shouldn't have to! No one besides myself and Batman were used to that dosage. The _she_ comes along and-gragh!" He kicked the wall again.

"_Women_. Am I right?" Joker asked. Jonathan pinched the brim of his nose.

"Yo, Crane." came a voice. Jonathan looked up to see Dr. Charmin walking toward him, looking rather pleased.

"What is it, you idiot?" he asked. Dr. Charmin stopped in front of his cell.

"I heard you had a little spat with Dr. Landon in her office earlier. Apparently you lost the argument..._again_..." he said. Jonathan shot him a glare worthy enough to kill.

"What of it?" he asked.

"Nuthin', just wanted to let you know she was checked out of the medical wing. You gave her a nasty little concussion. Poor thing's all bandaged up." he said. Jonathan smirked.

"I expect she's retiring for the day then?" he asked. Dr. Charmin grinned.

"Nope. She went right back to her office, even though she was suggested to go home. I went there and asked her about it. You know what she said?" he asked.

"Ooo! What'd she say?!" Harley asked.

"She said that if she would let something so trivial like a patient's _childlike temper tantrum_ get in the way of her duties, she might as well not even work here." Dr. Charmin said loudly for everyone to hear. Snickers from all around.

"She's a little firecracker..." Joker said in amusement. Jonathan's lip curled at Dr. Charmin's comment.

"And when I asked why she wasn't scared when you hit her with that toxin, she said that she'd seen scarier in cheap horror movies..." Charmin said. He'd lied about that part, but the effect it had on Jonathan was well worth it. Jonathan's face was red with rage. "You know," Charmin said, walking up closer to Jonathan's cell until he was almost touching the glass wall. "If you can't even scare a woman, one starts to imagine that you're losing your touch..."

_*BAM*_

Dr. Charmin gave a very high pitched yelp and jumped back when Jonathan without warning smacked the glass with his fists, earning a dark chuckle from the Rogues.

"Big words coming from a fool that wreaks of cowardice..." Jonathan hissed. "Get the _fuck_ out of here before I decide to visit_ your_ office next time I_ take a stroll_..."

With that, Dr. Charmin was gone, leaving Jonathan all the more angry than before. He looked down a his hands.

"What next, Jon?" Ivy asked.

"It seems she was right when she said that one shouldn't underestimate someone else when they don't know anything about them..."

"Meaning?"

"It means, Miss Ivy, that I'll have to study my subject before going any further." he said, and walked over to his cot to sit. Joker cackled.

"This should be_ fun._.."

...

**Author's Note: Yeah, a rough reunion for the two, I know. It wasn't all rainbows and iced coffee for them, but _hey,_ at least they're back together. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to remove these sharp objects from my person. They're rather distracting when I write...**

**Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for the fun reviews, tee-hee! Stay tuned! ;D**


	15. Bethany Shops

The next day, Bethany listened as Arnold Wesker talked to her about how much his boss badgered him, no matter how hard he worked. She listened intently, completely interested in everything he said, mainly because right after almost every time he talked, the wooden puppet in his hand would snap at him with a gangster slang attitude. It was like a twisted puppet show.

Arnold Wesker, Beth soon figured out the day before, was also a member of the Rogue Gallery, his villain name being Scarface. Correction, his puppet was Scarface, and Arnold was known as Dummy. Arnold was a victim of severe multi-personality disorder, his other personality channeling through the wooden puppet, which had a scar running over one of its large white eyes, hence the name.

"Shaddup, Dummy! You're always complainin' 'bout everyt'ing! If I had my tommy gun, you wouldn't be crybabyin' like dis!" Scarface said, his wooden mouth moving up and down with the words. Arnold whimpered and pointed to the doll, who was also dressed in an orange jumpsuit.

'Y-you see what I mean?" he asked meekly. "I only want to get along with him, but-ouch!" he rubbed his cheek where the doll had hit him.

"You know I hate dat touchy feely_ bullshit_!" Scarface shouted. Beth couldn't help but be impressed by Arnold's amazing ability to change and throw his voice.

"Please, Mr. Scarface, there's a lady present." Arnold said.

"Puh-leeze, from what I heard, dis broad can take it." Scarface's head swiveled to look at Beth. "You're da chick dat da doc's all pissed off about, huh?" he asked. Beth cleared her throat, which was covered by a scarf to hide the bruises.

"I'm going to have to ask that we stay on subject." she said. While she also studied Arnold's file, she also took a crack out of those psychiatry books on her shelf to help give her an idea about what to talk about during the day's session. So far she was pleased to have been able to get Arnold to speak openly to her after a few shy minutes of trust-building.

"Bah, whatever..." Scarface said. Beth looked at all the detail the doll had. Arnold must have put a lot of work into making it.

"How long did it take you to make that, Arnold?" she accidentally asked out loud. Arnold looked confusedly to her.

"Make what?" he asked.

"The doll-er, Scarface." she said. Arnold furrowed his brow.

"I didn't make him." he said.

"Then who?"

"Lemme answer dis one, Dummy." Scarface said. "When a mommy an' a daddy get really, _really_ shitfaced _drunk_, dey do somet'in' called _sex-_"

"I think I get it now." Beth interrupted before he could go on.

"Good. Now stop askin' dumbass questions." Scarface said. Beth sighed, and they continued on with the session.

...

"Thank you for speaking with us today, Dr. Landon." Arnold said when they were back at his cell. Beth nodded as he was led inside. "And thank you for being patient with Mr. Scarface. He's difficult to get along with at first."

"What wazzat, Dummy?" Scarface asked.

"Nothing, Mr. Scarface!" Arnold said quickly, and Beth smiled.

"No problem at all. I enjoyed speaking with you, Arnold. I'll see you tomorrow at three p.m. sharp." she said, waved to him, and began to make her way back to the exit of the gallery. She passed Jonathan's cell on her way, and she fought to keep from directing her eyes to him.

"Miss Landon." he greeted flatly without looking at her.

"_Mr._ Crane." she said curtly, and didn't even glance when he scowled at her.

That was their only encounter for the day.

...

"Okay..." Beth said from inside her minivan in the employee parking lot of the asylum. "Now what?" she checked her watch. Her day was already over, since she only had one patient to see to, and it was only twelve-thirty. She didn't want to leave for home just yet, but where was there to go? "The city..." she suggested to herself. Perhaps she should take a trip to the Gotham Central Mall. Having been preoccupied with other things during most of her adolescence, she never had time to be a teenager, and apparently going to the mall was a popular teenager activity. "Alrighty, then..." she said, and started the car. "The mall, it is..."

...

The entire place was a madhouse.

One big clusterfuck.

Beth walked quickly through the area, trying to keep from running into anybody as they passed, obviously not paying attention to anything around them. There were no quiet places to find refuge in because of everyone's already loud voices reverberating off the walls. Teens gathered in large crowds and blocked Beth's path. Angry girls fought over fifty percent off items. Parents screamed after young children, who were busy either crying or breaking things at every opportunity. The mixed scents coming from the different fast food places found in the food court almost made Beth nauseous.

Beth didn't like this place. Not at all.

She finally found an empty bench to seat herself at and she let out a huff. What was the big hype about this place? It was Hell on Earth. Crazier than the asylum.

"Utter madness-"

"Hey, you goin' for a big job or somethin'?" someone asked. She looked up to a dark skinned kid, around twelve years old, with baggy pants and a beanie cap on that looked ridiculous with his short sleeved shirt.

"Excuse me?" she asked. He pointed to her outfit.

"You're lookin' all professional and shit. Kids shouldn't be wearing stuff like that unless their ma and pa make 'em. You're parents makin' you?" he asked. Beth looked down at her dress clothes. Black dress pants and a white blouse with her black heels. She shook her head as an answer. He tsked. "Girl, you got some serious style issues." he said, and ran off, leaving Beth feeling rather annoyed.

"I think my clothes are just fine." she lied, and fidgeted with the cuff of her sleeve as she eyed what other people wore. Those clothes certainly looked more comfortable. "And cool..." she muttered as a girl in black and grey faded jeans walked by. Beth bit her lip, and called over to the girl. She turned around, greeting Beth with heavy black makeup and lip piercings.

"Yeah?" she asked. She regarded Beth's wardrobe, and rolled her eyes. "God, you're not one of those damned Jehovah witnesses, are you? Yeah, yeah, I know I'm going to hell, go fuck you-"

"Oh, no! It's not that, um," Beth hesitated, and pointed to the girl's pants. "Would you know of a place where I could find a pair of pants in that nature?" she asked. The girl looked at her in surprise.

"Um, down there at Hot Topic. Women's section."

"Thank you." Beth said, and began looking for this Hot Topic.

Once she arrived, she was introduced to more bizarre styles, much like that of the girl Beth had just spoken with. Ignoring the odd glances she received from the other customers, she set out in search of the ladies section of pants. She whistled when she found them, and began to search precariously through the strange assortment.

"What the hell are these?" she muttered, pulling out a pair of jeans with very thin legs.

"Haven't you ever seen skinny jeans before?" someone asked. Beth turned to see it was the same girl she met before.

"Oh, it's you! What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I work here." the girl said. "I was about to take my brake, but you just looked way to confused walking around this place. I thought I could help at least a little." she said. Beth wanted to hug her.

"Okay, thank you, um.."

"Sarah."

"I'm Beth." Beth froze as soon as she said her real name.

_Shit shit shit shit-_

"Alright, Beth. Those pants are skinny jeans." Sarah pointed out to the pants Beth was now gripping. "And they tear kind of easily, so could you treat them a little more delicately, please?" she asked in amusement. Beth loosened her grip, and let out a nervous laugh.

"Yeah. Heh. So, skinny jeans, you say?" she said, looking to the pants. She needed to stay calm. It wasn't like this girl was the police or anything.

"Yeah. You really never saw these before?" she asked. Beth shook her head.

"I lived a, ah, _sheltered_ life until recently."

"I can tell. The jeans I'm wearing are over there." Sarah pointed to a new shelf, and Beth walked over to it. She whistled when she saw there were many different colors to choose from, from yellow to green to-

"Red!" Beth picked up the pair of black jeans with faded red on the knees.

"You like red?"

"Yes. Very much so." she said, inspecting the size. "Oh, no. I wear fours. These are zeros..."

"Threes." Sarah picked up the same pair in Beth's size.

"I could hug you."

"That'd be weird. Would you like to see more pants?"

"Please."

"Kay, here's these styles. They're whitewash..."

Beth followed Sarah around the store like a baby chick, slowly picking out a new wardrobe for her closet. They even chose her a pair of shoes.

"Converse never fail." Sarah said.

"Okay." Beth said, setting a pair of black ones in her cart.

They spent fifteen minutes alone on the t-shirts when they finally got to them.

"That's so cute!" Beth squeaked when she took a particular shirt off the rung. It had a cartooned wolf on it looking shyly back with big doey ayes and pink on its cheeks. One little pointy tooth was shown poking out of its mouth.

"You're so weird..."

When they finally reached the counter for checkout, Beth pulled out her wallet as Sarah rang her up.

"That'll be sixty-five big ones." she said when everything was in bags. Beth quickly put another item on the counter. A plastic spider ring. That earned an expression of subtle disbelief from the cashier. Only little kids liked those.

"What? It's neat!" Beth said shyly.

"Right. Why don't you just have that? My gift to you.."

"Really?"

".._.really._.."

"Cool!" Beth paid her the sixty five dollars and put the ring on her finger before taking her bags and walking out of the store.

...

Once Beth was home, she quickly went to put on all her clothes, for once feeling excited about something trivial. She sort of enjoyed not having her mind on something other than herself. It was a little selfish, but hell, six years of sitting on a rock should allow someone to act a little selfishly once in a while. She even did a little runway show for Chance, just because she felt that happy.

The large wolf might as well have rolled his eyes. What was this silly human doing?

...

"You look happy." Dr. Leland said the next morning. Beth nodded.

"I went shopping yesterday. I haven't done that in a while." she said instead of saying she'd _never _been shopping. She figured that would be odd for a twenty-seven year old.

"I know what you mean. Have you been getting along with Mr. Wesker?"

"Yes. I figured that he actually thinks his Scarface puppet is an actual living thing, and I'm going to be focusing on that. I want him to see that it's a puppet that he's controlling, and maybe when he sees that, he'll start to think on that second personality of his.

"Taking the vessel away from the personality. That's risky, but it's a shot. Alright then. Sounds like you know what you're doing. I'll leave you to it." Dr. Leland said, and they both parted ways.

Beth headed to her session with confidence in herself. This psychiatry job might not be so difficult, after all.

...

**(...FIVE WEEKS LATER...)**

"This job is impossible!" Beth groaned, her head on her desk and her arms hanging limply over the sides. She'd just gotten back from escorting Arnold and Scarface back to his cell after yet another failed session. She'd tried everything she could short of breaking the law to get this guy to see a puppet on his lap and not a human being. He was stubborn.

"Then that _ass_ had to mess with me..." she growled, remembering Crane's comment when she passed his cell.

_"Looking beat, Miss Landon. Is a simple case really getting to you this badly? What was it I said about passing out diplomas like candy?" _he had stated with a sneer.

"I'll kill 'im..." she muttered. The phone on her desk rang, and she grudgingly picked it up. "Hullo?"

"This is Dr. Arkham. Meet me in my office. Now." he hung up, and Beth jumped from her desk, not wanting to keep him waiting. He was the boss man, after all...

...

"_No progress_?" Beth asked after a few minutes of being in his office. He gave a stiff nod.

"You've had his case for five weeks now. Over a month of therapy, and not a single shred of progress in Arnold Wesker." he said. His hands were clasped on his desk over various papers that were stacked perfectly. Everything in his room was perfect, not a single thing out of place. If Beth hadn't been so caught up with what he said, she'd think the arrangement was a little creepy.

"Cases like Mr. Wesker's take time!" she tried to reason. "He's been attached to that doll for so long, of course he won't see things correctly in just a few measly days! He needs to be eased into reality-"

"I don't want any sort of 'easing', Dr. Landon!" Dr. Arkham said. "I want results! This molly coddling you're giving Arnold Wesker is obviously not working-"

"It's not molly coddling, it's therapy-"

"It's idiotic!" he slammed an angry fist onto the desk, and the papers fluttered out of their perfect stack. He quickly fixed it. "Listen, Dr. Landon. A case such as Mr. Wesker's is not a difficult one to work with-"

"Then why is he still here, if he's so simple to figure out? Why hasn't he been cured-"

"And if I find that in one weeks time that you've yet to move ahead with him at all, you're fired. Understood?" he asked. Beth bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood, and nodded. "Good. Remember, I expect only the best out of my workers..."

"Yeah.." she said.

"You are dismissed."

"Yes, sir..." she stood and left the over-tidy office.

...

"I expect only the best out of my workers- blah blah fuckin' blah!" Beth said that night when she was home. She was changed into one of her new outfits. Black skinny jeans, a black short sleeve with multicolored paint splatter all over it, and her converse. She was currently attempting to try out make-up, only just accomplishing putting on the light charcoal colored eyeshadow without making herself look frightful.

Sarah, who she'd become friends with over the past few weeks, had noticed Beth's drop in her usual enthusiastic mood. She'd invited Beth to go clubbing with her, whatever that was. Beth imagined them with clubs, hitting people, and hoped she was wrong about that.

"It _must_ be something else..." she said as she carefully applied a light shade of lipstick.

The phone by her bed rang, and she rolled her eyes when Chance, who'd been snoozing on the bed at the time, yipped in surprise and growled at the infernal noise. She left the bathroom and answered the phone, patting Chance on the head to calm him.

"Yes-"

"Dr. Landon." Arkham's voice demanded before she could finish. He sounded stressed. Panicked.

"Dr. Arkham. Wha-"

"You're needed at the asylum! Arnold Wesker has gone berserk! He's taken a gun from one of the guards while in the recreational room and is holding three doctors against there will. As his doctor, you need to be present. Be here on ten minutes." he hung up.

Beth was racing down the bridge to Arkham Asylum five minutes later.

...

She ran to the recreational room where everyone was gathered, and pushed herself through the crowd of white coats and bulletproof vests. When she made it to the door, she walked into the room to find Dr. Leland and Dr. Arkham trying to talk to Arnold Wesker, who was indeed holding three doctors, including Charmin, as prisoner. The other inmates were in there as well, lounging on the couches that had been brought to the far wall, watching with grins on their faces. Joker and Harley were making bets on who would be shot first. Riddler rhymes disturbing riddles involving the doctors' inevitable demise, Ivy ignored it all, picking her nails. Jonathan merely watched with a bored expression, as if he had much better things to do.

"Arnold, you don't need to do this!" Dr. Leland said. Arnold was obviously not listening to any of that, both of his shaking hands gripping the handgun tightly and aiming it randomly at the three hostages. He was crying.

"I want Mr. Scarface! Where's Mr. Scarface!" he shouted hysterically.

"That _doll _isn't alive, Wesker!" Arkham shouted. "You need to realize that!"

"Dr. Leland!" Beth shouted, and ran up to her. Dr. Leland looked at Beth and frowned. '

"Who are-_Dr. Landon_?!" she asked, looking incredulously at Beth's wardrobe. The inmates looked to her, equally surprised.

"Well that's new..." Riddler said.

"Aw, Dr. Landon, you look so cute!" Harley called, and waved happily at Beth as if they weren't in the middle of a hostage situation.

"What's going on? Why is acting like this?" Beth asked Dr. Leland.

"I took his puppet away from him before dinner." Arkham answered. "And now he's acting like a child."

"What?! Why did you do that!" Beth shouted at him. She wasn't going to hold back on this guys anymore. "You idiot! What were you trying to prove, taking away my patient, _not yours_', belongings!"

"You dare talk to me like that-"

"Yes! I had this perfectly under control! Because of your _genius_, this happened! Now, unless you want the deaths of three doctors to take away your wonderful reputation, you'll give me back the doll,_ now_!" she shouted. Arkham stared at her in such a way that she'd be fired right then and there.

"Joan, go get the doll. It's in my office..." he said slowly. Dr. Leland nodded once and ran out. He then gestured for Beth to take over. "You're his doctor. You deal with him." he said, and stepped back. Beth turned to Arnold and took a deep breath. She kicked off one of her shoes, and removed her sock. She then placed it on her hand.

"What the hell are you doing, Dr. Landon?" Arkham asked.

"Getting results." she snapped at him, and walked slowly forward. "Hey, Arnold, it's me, Dr. Landon." she said. He looked at her.

"D-Dr. Landon, I'm sorry f-for disss-turbing you..." he said.

"No, it's fine. What's wring, Arnold?" she asked.

"Th-th-they took Mr. Scarface!" he said.

"That's mean of them." she said, and he nodded vigorously.

"I w-want him back!" he shouted.

"He's never comin' back, Arny!" Joker shouted. "He's termite feed!" this made Arnold shake furiously, and Beth clenched her jaw.

"Mr. J, please keep your comments to yourself for the remainder of the hostage situation." she asked with forced politeness.

"Awww." Joker said, but shut up.

"Alright, Arnold, I brought back Mr. Scarface, okay?" she asked. Arnold looked at her.

"You did?" he asked, hope in his words. She nodded, and lifted her sock. She moved her thumb up and down to make a mouth.

"Here he is." she said. Arnold furrowed his brow. Beth didn't notice Jonathan lean closer in his seat, boredom gone from his face.

"Th-that's not him!" Arnold said.

"Yes it is." Beth said.

"No It's not!"

"And why not?" she asked.

"That's a s-sock!"

"Mr. Scarface is a puppet."

"No he's not!"

"This is a puppet to. A sock puppet. It's Mr. Scarface." she said. She knew that every stare she received from everyone screamed 'idiot'.

"It's not Mr. Scarface!"

"But this is a puppet just the same as Mr. Scarface-"

"_No it's not_!" Arnold dropped the gun, and Beth winced when it kit the ground. Thankfully it didn't go off. Harley and Joker groaned sadly. Arnold gripped his hair as he staired at the sock. "It's nothing like Mr. Scarface! Hours upon hours used to shape and paint him! That thing on your hand is just a sock! A sock!"

"Opposed to Mr. Scarface, who is a-"

"A _puppet_! An _actual puppet_!"

"Say what, Mr. Wesker?" Beth asked with a smile. Arnold blinked at the words he just said.

"H-he's a...a p-puppet..." he muttered. He looked down to his hands, and fell to his knees. "Puppet..." he repeated, over and over.

"Dr. Landon." Dr. Leland said from behind Beth. She handed Beth Scarface, and Beth walked with him to Arnold. She knelt down next to him.

"Arnold. Look at this doll." she said. His sad, teary eyes looked at Scarface, and they widened. He went to grab it, but she held it out of his reach. "You need to see that this is just a puppet, that you control, not the other way around..." she said softly. He whimpered something she couldn't understand, and nodded. She gave him back Scarface, and he stared at the doll as she helped him stand back up. "These orderlies will take you back to your cell now, Arnold, alright?" she asked. Ne nodded, and walked out of the room with two orderlies.

"Well, looks like the show is over!" Joker said, and stood. "I'm beat! I'm headin' to bed!"

He walked a few feet, then made a move for the gun Arnold had previously. Beth snatched it from the floor just before he could get it, and he smiled sheepishly. "If it weren't for your loud outfit, I'd say you weren't fun, doc!" he said, and laughed as he was also escorted out. She rolled her eyes and handed the gun over to one of the guards. She looked over to Dr. Arkham.

"Am I fired, or not?" she asked.

"No..." he said. "But you only proved my theory that acting with slight force brings much more results than waiting it out."

"Oh, yes, Jerry." Jonathan said, walking up to them. "It worked perfectly. Only three people nearly died tonight." he said. Beth's eyes landed on Jonathan. This was the closest they'd been since he attacked her. He caught her looking at him, and she quickly averted her eyes. He gave a long sigh, and glared at Dr. Arkham. "I believe you owe...Doctor...Landon, a word of thanks. If it weren't for her intervening, the janitor would have had to spend hours scraping brain matter from the carpet..." he said. Beth's eyes nearly popped out of their skull. She looked at him.

"You just-"

"Don't...push it." he said, and she shut up. He watched Dr. Arkham's upper lip twitch in agitation.

"Thank you, Dr. Landon, for actually doing your job." he said, and strode out of the room.

"Don't expect anything more from him. He's an idiot." Jonathan said, and left with an orderly before she could reply.

Beth crossed her arms.

This night was just chalk full of surprises.

...

"Yes, Dr. Arkham?" Beth asked when she came into work the next day. She was called to his office as soon as she arrived, and she dreaded the possible lecture she'd receive.

"Come in, I have a new case for you." he said. "You've worked with only one patient long enough. Here it is." he handed her a folder, and she opened it.

Her jaw dropped.

"You can't be serious." she said.

"You two seemed to be getting along so well last night, so I assigned him to you." he said. Beth only stared at the picture of Jonathan Crane in shock. "I hope that's not going to be a problem..." Arkham said in obvious amusement. Beth took a deep breath.

"No, sir...of course not..."

...

**Author's Note: My sister's Magikarp evolved into an Alakazam on her Pokemon game. Those rare fruits are crazy... **

**Anyway! Hope you liked the chapter and all that jazz! Stay tuned, and thanks much for the reviews! ;D**


	16. Bethany Learns About Herself

Bethany tapped the manila folder in front of her on her desk, her gaze fixed on it as if it were a toy a child desperately wanted but couldn't have. She heard him be escorted into her office, but didn't look up or say a word to him as he was seated in the chair opposite her desk. She simply continued to stare at his file. The file she never read into. It would be cheating, she thought. She'd start fresh. Half of the information probably wasn't even correct, since it was largely based on what he had told his previous doctors. She had no problem with Arnold Wesker's file; the old man couldn't lie if his life depended on it. But _him_, that was a different story...

What the hell was she doing?! She shook her head and rest her forehead on her hands. She wasn't a doctor! She wasn't supposed to be thinking of patients or files or keeping Arkham off her back! This was only for her to use to see what Jonathan was. How he'd changed. That was all! This wasn't some lifetime gig. It was all a sham she'd used to get to Jonathan, and now she was here, _giving him therapy_. Was this even supposed to last this long?

"Ugh..."

"Excuse me, but do you have some sort of headache?" Jonathan asked after countless minutes of watching her suffer internally. Though it was entertaining, it really wasn't professional for a doctor to show such discomfort in front of a patient. She looked up at him tiredly.

"Everything is fine. This was just a sort of a shock." she said, gesturing to his file. "I was only just handed your case this morning." a

"You make it sound like they toss me around. How rude."

"I'm sorry." she said, and pulled out her pad of paper. "Shall we begin?"

"Won't you use the recorder to go over anything you might miss?" he asked. Beth wanted to roll her eyes. Like she really cared about some recording device.

"No, I prefer it this way." she said.

"Whatever floats your boat,_ doctor.._."

"Let's start with that." she said. "Why did you begin referring to me by my title? You said you wouldn't-"

"I said you didn't yet earn my respect to have me call you as such. Don't put words into my mouth. It's annoying."

"And how did I earn your respect, exactly?"

"Unlike any of the other idiots in white coats in the entire asylum, you were able to actually get that ridiculous old man Wesker to actually think. Granted, your methods were hardly safe, but still...When I worked here, he was just a easy case that senior doctors passed off to new doctors to help break them in. Nothing more, nothing less. Now he's actually managed to keep that other personality of his shut up for a while."

"So that's it?" she asked. Jonathan picked his nail.

"No."

"Then what?" she asked. He leaned forward then, a wry smile on his face.

"Because, you managed to piss Arkham off enough to be stuck with _me_, and you've only been here for two months. I could hardly believe it when I saw you yelling at him like he'd just stuck his hand in the cookie jar. And that outrageous outfit of yours made it even better. You looked like a pissed off teenager."

"Heh-heh..._yeah_..." she said, and quickly coughed to rid her wariness away before his analyzing eyes could catch it. He leaned back in his seat again and contemplated her.

"Dr. Landon, why do you dress in such a ridiculous way. It's hardly professional for someone your age to be dressing like that." he said.

"Tell me, Dr. Crane, do you believe in life outside of work?" she asked, knowing the answer would be a big fat NO-

"Yes." he said simply. Beth nearly fell out of her chair.

"Really?!" she said.

"You seem surprised. Are you under the impression that I don't have a life?" he asked.

"Not at all, I just assumed that you're so obsess-uh, _interested,_ in your work that you really just shut the rest of the world out, not bothering with the social world." she said. Jonathan quirked a brow.

"That's quite an assumption..." he said. Beth bit the inside of her cheek.

"My apologies-"

"You know, to assume something only makes an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'." he said.

"D-did you just attempt humor?" Beth asked in shock. She could hardly believe it.

"Not my strongest area of expertise, I know." he said. "But back to the subject. Yes, I do believe that it is healthy to have some detachment from your work."

"As in, take a break?"

"Yes."

"Do you take breaks?"

"Barely. I usually count my time in this place as my breaks."

"Do you lead any sort of different life when you're not here? Is there any time you aren't Scarecrow?" she asked. She felt like she herself needed to know the answer to this, to understand if he still smiled slightly at trivial things from time to time. He frowned.

"I don't believe so. I mean, the last time I wasn't submerged completely in my experiments was a long time ago, and that was, in a sense, _forced _of me." he said. Beth saw the corners of his mouth twitch. The very shadow of a smile.

"What was that, exactly?" she asked. The twitching stopped, and his lips pursed.

"Nothing, just a small annoying matter that I was forced to deal with about six years ago..." he said. "It's gone now..." Beth swallowed hard before pressing on.

"Bethany Niles? Is she what you're describing, Dr. Crane?" she asked. His eyes burned as they snapped to her. His body went rigid.

"No..." he said curtly. "She isn't."

"That's the only thing I can think of that occurred six years ago that could _possibly _remove you from your work. Did you take care of this girl?" she asked.

"You seem confident in yourself, Dr. Landon. I advise you use your head." he said darkly. "Before I rip it off."

"Do I need to have you placed in a straight jacket before we continue?"

"The last time they placed me in a straight jacket, I made my therapist swallow his own tongue. Would you like me to demonstrate how I did it?" he curled his lip. He was angry.

"What were your feelings towards Bethany Niles?"

"You can't take a fucking hint, can you?" he hissed.

"Did you care about her?" she asked. Her breath was bated. She wanted to know. Was there a shred of remorse from him when she 'died'?

"Shut. Up." Jonathan muttered. Normally, he'd have noticed her odd tone, one of desperation. He'd have noticed her quivering bottom lip. But now, he was angry. He began to see red. Six years without having to hear that girl's name through a doctor's criticizing, brownnosing teeth. The doctors had quickly learned not to mention her because of his sudden wild attacks when they tried to speak to him about her. All they wanted to do was study her like they did him. Use her to help them give him yet another diagnosis. They didn't care about the person herself. She was just a juicy piece of information they wanted to sink their rabid teeth into. They didn't deserve to know a shred about her, and he'd not say a damned thing.

"Dr. Crane..._please_." her beg shook his attention back to her. Her face was filled with emotion as she stared back at him. "Look, it'll be off the record. I won't write it down or anything. I _want_ to know about Bethany Niles. Her favorite color. The way she acted. Just one thing you remember about her will be fine for me. _One thing._.." she said. The pen was out of her hands, on the desk. Jonathan's eyes darted from her to the pad of paper. He was struck by her sudden statement. Her previous questions were canned. Cliche. These new ones...they didn't involve him or his condition in any of them. Her favorite color? What was her favorite color? He looked at Dr. Landon's blouse. Dark red. Red. Taking in a breath through his nose, he regarded the doctor.

"If you say anything-"

"I'll give you permission to gas me with your next toxin." she said. His eyes fluttered wide for just a moment before he quickly composed himself. The look she had in her eyes told him she was serious about her statement. Alright, he'd scratch at her curiosity.

"She liked red..." he muttered. Beth sighed, and relaxed. She didn't write the information down as promised. She didn't need to. She just wanted to know if he remembered her. She forced her eyes to keep from watering with emotion, and she nodded at him with a small smile.

"She liked red." she said. "Usually little girls like pink or yellow."

"Usually little girls don't associate themselves with Gotham's notorious, but there she was." he muttered again.

"They say she murdered her entire family..." she said slowly. His jaw clenched.

"They deserved it. That's all I'll tell you." he said. What was he doing? He didn't need to say any of this. She was just one of them...an insect...He looked over at her face. It lacked the professional poker face visage that doctors usually fixed themselves with to keep what they felt from the patient they were treating. She didn't even try to hide her emotions in front of him. They were all splayed on her face, and she didn't care. It was like an open act of defiance towards him. She didn't need to hide what she thought. He didn't scare her.

"So...she confided in you?" she asked. He gave a stiff nod.

"I gave help where help was due. It was a simple task."

"Taking care of a child hardly seems simple." she asked in amusement.

"You'd be surprised..." he said. "Why are you so interested in her? I thought the reason as to why I am here was so that you can treat me." his question made Bethany sit back in her seat in thought.

"I don't really have a reason." she finally said to him. "She just seemed like to be known for her incident with her family, and nothing else. I knew there must have been more to her than that. And now I know. Her favorite color is red." she didn't even try to hide her smile from him. "Thank you for telling me."

_Thank you for remembering._

"You're an interesting specimen, Dr. Landon..." he said with a thoughtful gaze.

"Are you saying you've been observing me, Dr. Crane?" she asked.

"_Exactly _that." he said. What did he care if she found out he was studying her as his next experiment? She couldn't do anything about it.

"Find anything worth noting?" she asked. Her eyes were narrowed in amusement and interest. He smirked at this. So she wanted to play...

"Not yet. But, I have a feeling there's a little more to you than a defiant smile and childlike curiosity. Care to enlighten me?"

"You're a doctor, can't you figure it out yourself?" she shrugged her shoulder as she asked the question. Jonathan couldn't help but smile fully at his new toy.

"A challenge?"

"I suppose it is."

"This should be interesting." he said, lacing his fingers together as they both staring intently at each other as if daring the other to blink. One blink, and the game would be over. The door to her office opened, and an orderly came in.

"Time's up, Crane." he called.

"Let's continue this tomorrow." Jonathan said, and began to stand. Beth stopped him.

"One more question...about her." she said. Jonathan eyed the orderly before narrowing his eyes at Beth. "Do you think you could have helped her, if she was still around?" she asked. Jonathan relaxed when she didn't say her name, and he seemed to contemplate the question as he was being led out. He finally looked back at her.

"Insanity is like an abyss, Dr. Landon. Once you find yourself dragged to the bottom, it becomes frightfully difficult to swim your way out again..." he said, and he was gone.

It took a few seconds for Beth to remember to breath.

...

**Author's Note: Yeah, I thought they needed a "bonding" moment, ya know? I just hate writing them hating each other so much. It makes me sad, lol.**


	17. Bethany Finds Old Friends

**(...TWO MONTHS LATER...)**

"I'm gonna tell him."

Beth stared at her reflection in her bathroom mirror, at war with herself. Chance sat at the doorway and watched her curiously as she huffed and glared at her other self in the mirror.

"No...I'm not..." she said.

"Why not?" she asked.

"He'll hate me. You saw how protective he is of me when he tells me about me!" she said, becoming delusional. "If I told him now...I'll lose his trust..."

"So I'll never tell him? The longer I wait, the more angry he'll become that I lied to him. This has been dragging on for months!"

"I know, and it sucks!" Beth gripped her hair and slammed her eyes shut. It had been two months since Jonathan had been placed in her care. Two months, and she hadn't told him yet. Not a single thing. He thought of her keeping her personal life a secret as a game. An interesting puzzle. She thought it was fucking annoying, and it drove her a little more crazy every time he'd ask for a hint. If she gave him one, she knew she'd be found out.

"Why is that a bad thing?!" she shouted, and groaned outwardly. Chance huffed once at her, and Beth looked over to the wolf with sad eyes. She walked over and hugged him around his neck. He sniffed her hair. "Tell me what to do, boy." she muttered into his fur. He rest his head on her shoulders and yawned as an answer.

...

"It's been forever since you got the Landon girl, Jon..." Ivy said to Jonathan. They were seated on the couch in the rec room. He was reading a book on the plague. She was tending to yet another plant. A daffodil. Riddler and Hatter sat at the checkers table, arguing over each others' moves. Jonathan sniffed.

"What of it, Ivy?" he asked, and turned the page to his book. Her emerald colored eyes studied him, her dark green lips pulling to a sly smile.

"Aren't you going to make her scream?" she asked. His eyebrow quirked, and he looked away from his book to her.

"I thought you liked her."

"I thought you didn't..."

"I don't."

"Don't lie to me, Crane. Remember, my abilities with mammals may be limited, but I'm still able to sense human hormone levels. Ever since not too long ago, your hormone levels have been through the roof every time you go near her..." she said. Jonathan coughed into his hand, his face flushed. This damn woman and her constant sex-talk...

"Absolutely ridiculous-"

"Is it, Jon? Tell me, how long has it been since you've bedded a woman?" she asked. "A long while ago, right? You and your damned experiments gets too much in the way of your social life. You need to get out a little. Have some fun..." she leaned over to him, eyeing his angered face with sprite-like glee. "Now, I'll ask again: Are you going to make her scream? You know you want to..."

"My personal life and how I run it is none of your concern, Ivy, and I would like if you'd keep your green nose out of it." he muttered, and stood after adjusting his glasses. She smirked.

"She's going through the same thing, you know." she said. He froze before he could walk away, and she grinned. "She's rather confused about it though, the poor dear. I'm afraid she doesn't know what she's going through. It's as if she were a teenager." she said. "If you'd both just fuck and get it over with, your problem might be solved. Or..." she narrowed her eyes. "Maybe you won't advance because you're afraid of wanting more afterward..." Jonathan gripped the book in his hands.

"I'm not afraid of anything..." he hissed, and stalked off. Ivy shrugged and picked up the daffodil to stroke its petals lovingly.

"Oh, oh, dear little Bethany. If only you could see what you're doing to him..."

...

"It's gotten..._worse._.." Beth said to Chance. He huffed as a response, which she took as his way of agreeing. They both stood outside the small, rundown home that she and Jonathan had shared all those years ago. For some reason, she felt like going back, and had decided to take Chance incase there was any danger. It really had gotten worse. The wood paneling that covered the shattered windows was rotting away, and brown, dead vines reached up to the second story. The weeds that littered the front area had increased greatly in number. The whole place was falling apart. Jonathan had to have relocated his area of operations. This place looked much too unstable for him to work from.

Beth walked up to the door and turned the knob. To her surprise, it opened. She pushed the door gently and walked in. Dust rose where she stepped, and the motes swirled around her legs as she moved forward. Chance sneezed and snorted as it invaded his nose.

"Sorry, buddy.." she muttered. She walked into the living room. The couch and cushioned chair were still there, as well as the coffee table. A thin layer of dust coated them along with everything else in the house. She moved to the kitchen, then the stairs. Chance stayed below, exploring the place that held the faint scent of his human.

When she reached her bedroom, she walked over to her bed and sat down. She regretted the act, for a very large amount of dust burst upward, and she coughed and stood before walking over to the little closet. She opened the door, and looked down. Her eyes widened. One the floor were her bags, the ones that held her belongings that night she was to go with Ra's. Jonathan had kept these?

Dropping to her knees, she ripped the old fabric apart easily, not bothering with the zippers. Inside she found clothes, toiletries, a brush...

"Where's my book?" she asked. She dug to the bottom of both of them. It wasn't there. A frustrated frown on her face, she stood and looked around the room. She checked under her bed where she'd first found it. Not there, either. "Dammit..." she walked out of her room and over to Jonathan's room to see if he'd left it there. She grabbed the knob and tried to turn it. It didn't budge. She pushed her weight against it. Still nothing. "Open, dammit!" she growled, and kicked the door just under the knob. A loud splintering sound, and the door swung roughly backwards.

"Leave it to you to lock your door, Jonathan..." She walked in to see his room was just as it was before. Nothing different, and no book. "Grah!" she went to his bed and sat down slowly. No dust rose, and she sighed before laying on her back to stare up at the ceiling. The sheets still smelled like him. She furrowed her brow. Why did she know what he smelled like? She never noticed that before. Shrugging, she rolled over onto her side.

There was the book, under his pillow. She sat bolt right up and ripped the pillow away. The old Grimm's Fairytales book sat there in front of her. The edges were worn, and the pages more yellowed than she remembered. There was a bookmark in it, and her shaking hands picked it up before carefully opening it up to the page that was marked.

It led to the story "Little Red Riding Hood", and she sighed. Silent tears fell down her face. One landed on the book page, and she closed it before she any more could.

"Stupid Jonathan..." she muttered, and wiped her eyes.

She heard Chance bark loudly downstairs.

The sound of shouting.

Wide-eyed, Beth bolted for the door, then to the stairs. Once she reached the bottom, she ran to the living room to see Chance growling furiously, his back and tailed bristled with danger. At the door was a built man, looking shocked at the huge wolf.

"_John_?!" Beth shouted before she could stop herself. The man's frightful eyes went to her.

"Who wants to know?! Lookit here, broad, you ain't got no business in this place! N-now take your overstuffed poodle and get the hell out!" he said. Beth rolled her eyes. Yes, it was John. Sighing, she stepped forward.

"I'm leaving, I'm leaving. C'mon boy." she called to Chance, and he stopped growling and trotted over to her. John jumped out of the way when they came close to the door, and Beth waved at him before they were outside.

"A very odd place for a lady to visit, eh?" someone said. Beth looked over to a man leaning against a cadillac. Michael. He grinned at her, and she forced a smile.

"Just passing through. I didn't mean to cause trouble." she said. His brows raised.

"Of course ya didn't mean trouble! It never stopped ya from causin' it before, though!" he said. Beth's eyes widened, and she froze.

"Wh-what?" she asked. He shook his head.

"Michael! What the hell are you talkin' to that broad for!" John called from inside the house. "Stay away from that dog! It's on steroids or some shit!" Beth tsked and looked at John.

"It's a wolf, you idiot!" she said. He frowned and raised his hands in the air.

"Well excuse me, Miss Bitch! I didn't realize, since there ain't any wolves in Gotham fuckin' City!"

"Well obviously there are, since there's one _right fucking here_!" she shouted.

"Shaddup!"

"You shut up!"

"Both of you calm down." Michael said, walking over to Beth. "John, how can ya talk to a lady like that?"

"She started it! An' she sure as shit ain't no lady!"

"Quit talking, asshole!" Beth shouted at him. Michael flicked her in the ear.

"The mouth on you. What if the boss heard you talking like that?" he asked. Beth whipped around to look at him.

"You know it's me?" she asked. He nodded once.

"At first I wasn't too sure, but when that argument between you an' John started up, it was easy to figure out." he said.

"Figure out what? What the hell is she still doin' here?!" John shouted, and stomped outside. He stormed over to her, but stopped when Chance gave a threatening huff. "You lookin' to join our club, chick? No spots open for smartasses!" he said.

"They don't let smartasses in, but I can plainly see they let in dumbasses..._dumbass_..." she said. John shook his fist at her.

"If that damn dog-poodle-wolf thing weren't here, I'd beat your little ass."

"Oh, shut up, John." Beth said. "Last time you said that was when I was twelve, and even then you didn't scare me in the least." she said.

"Well you...wait..._what_?" he asked. Beth hooded her eyes.

"Michael figures it out in five seconds, and you're still stuck at the station. Poor John..." she said with mock pity. He pointed at her and looked at Michael.

"The fuck is this?" he asked. Michael shook his head sadly.

"Beth, John..." he said, his tone weary. John repeated the name once, trying to remember. When his eyes widened to saucers, Beth knew she'd hit home.

"Rugrat?" he asked. Beth nodded, and he spazzed out. "What? How the fuck-Jesus, shit! What are you-_-jesus_!" he began to pace, scratching his head furiously as he went. He finally turned back to her. "Wait 'till 'Crow hears about this-"

"No, you won't tell 'Crow anything." she said sternly. Michael and John both looked at her, shocked. John curled his lip.

"Why fuckin' not?! You know what he went through after he thought he killed y-"

"Yes, I know. I'm going to tell him soon." she said. Michael scratched his neck.

"He's in Arkham right now, kiddo." he said. She nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I work there." she said. Again with the shocked faces. She held her hand up before they could ask a flood of questions, and she pointed to inside. "Can we go inside if we're going to talk about this?" she asked. They quickly nodded, and she followed them back in, knowing that she'd be staying for much longer than she had planned.

...

"You seem tired..." Jonathan said to her the next morning. Beth looked up at him and nearly punched him in the face yelling, 'It was your stupid goons that kept me up 'till three in the fuckin' morning answering their stupid questions!' But, she bit her tongue, and leaned back in her chair.

"I had a...meeting." she muttered.

"What kind of meeting?" he asked. She shrugged.

"A work meeting." she said. "I wasn't really there the whole time."

"You're lying horribly, but I won't badger you about it. Was it a boyfriend?" he asked. They were both shocked by the question, and they sat in stunned silence for a few seconds before Beth cleared her throat.

"Uh, no. Not a boyfriend. I don't have one of those." she said. Jonathan set his chin on the palm of his hand.

"Too absorbed in your work, doctor? Or is it the way you dress that keeps men away?" he asked. Beth smirked.

"Maybe both." She said, and stretched. He gave a crude smile.

"I heard Dr. Charmin has taken a fancy to you..." he said. Beth stuck out her tongue in disgust.

"That bubbleheaded man is so far away from my type it's not even funny. It's like my type is in America, and his type is on Pluto." she said.

"That's a relief, I must say." he said. Beth cocked her head to the side.

"Why do you say that?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Most of the women in here are for some reason infatuated with him, making them just as idiotic as he is." he said.

"Are you saying I'm not an idiot, Dr. Crane?" she asked.

"Are you taking offense to that?"

"Of course not. What about you? Have you any Harley Quinn of your own waiting out in the city for you?" she asked.

"God, no. I'd never stoop to that level." he said, then tilted his head a bit. "I did have an interest in a woman named Becky Albright. She'd been brave enough to stand witness against me when no one else was, you see, and I thought it to be intriguing. I sought her out. She said no. I used my toxin on her and bid her good day." he said. Beth was surprised.

"When was this?" she asked.

"Nearly three years ago."

"And do you gas all the ladies you're interested in?"

"Only the ones that give me a hard time..." he said, and his eyes shot to hers. Beth went still as she looked back. She found her voice, and coughed.

"You gassed me on my first day here." she said.

"You gave me a hard time." he said, blinking away from her.

"Am I an interest of yours as well?" she asked as an attempt to joke.

"What would you say if I said yes?" he asked in return. Beth swallowed. He didn't just ask her that. He noted her expression of shock and confusion and shook his head. "I'm only messing with you, Dr. Landon. No need to take things so literally."

"Uh, oh..." she said. Se was relieved...right? "My apologies." she said.

The phone next to her rang, and she quickly answered it.

"H-hello?"

"Dr. Landon. I need you in my office, now." Arkham's voice ordered.

"I'm in the middle of a session with my patient." she said.

"Send him on his way. Be here in five minutes." he hung up. Beth placed the phone roughly back on its rest.

"Asshole..." she muttered.

"Arkham?"

"Yes."

"I won't keep you, then." Jonathan said, and stood. Beth walked him out to the hall, where an orderly waited to take him back to his cell. Beth waved to him before angrily making her way to Arkham's office and pulling the door open.

When she entered, she was surprised to see six more doctors in there, staring at a computer screen on Arkham's desk and taking notes. Arkham walked up next to her.

"Hello, Dr. Landon." he said. She nodded.

"What are they doing?" she asked, pointing to the doctors. It looked like they were watching a black and white video.

"Go and see for yourself." he said, with a brightness that made her very nervous. She walked over to his desk and looked at the screen. Her jaw dropped.

It was her and Jonathan. In her office. It was one of their sessions. Beth shook her head when she heard their subject of conversation.

Bethany Niles.

Arkham walked up behind her, and stopped the video. The other doctors looked to him.

"Thanks to Dr. Landon." he said to them. "We now have a great deal of information on a subject that was previously thought to be dead to conversation: Bethany Niles, and what effects her presence had on patient Jonathan Crane. An applause for the doctor, everyone!" he said, and the doctors gave a light clap of approval for her. Her hands were shaking. This couldn't be happening.

"Those were off the record conversations." she said, and turned to face Arkham. "Why did you record those sessions!" she asked.

"I wanted to see how you worked. I would have shut off the cameras after the first day, but when you got him to sing about that little brat of his so easily, I had to keep recording. Besides, if I didn't, we'd be missing important information on his case!" he said, his anger rising a little. "You're lucky I decided not to fire you for withholding information from us!"

"Those were private conversations!" she shouted. He glared at her from behind his glasses.

"You are suspended without pay, Dr. Landon! For a week!" he said. Beth curled her lip, and turned to leave.

"I don't see what the big deal is, Landon." she heard someone say. She saw Dr. Charmin looking at her with a confused expression.

"It's _Dr. _Landon, you idiot!" she snapped, and stormed out of the office. Her fingers flexed as she made her way out of the asylum, not stopping to even glance at Dr. Leland when she asked what was wrong. There was so much wrong here, and it was her fault. Her breath hitched in her throat as she pushed open the large oak doors to the outside.

"I'm sorry, Jonathan..."

...

Beth had soon learned after her re-arrival to Gotham that the legal drinking age was twenty-one, and her handy dandy fake I.D. Said she was the ripe old age of twenty-seven. Now, she wasn't one to drink, anyway, her stepfather being a prime reason why she would stay away from the stuff. Usually she would stay far away from it, even though Sarah would try to get at least one drink in her whenever they went to clubs on the weekends.

But now, under these circumstances, Bethany Niles had a serious need to get, as Scarface had called it, _shitfaced_.

Opening a bottle of red wine, she poured an entire glass of it. After taking three large swallows, she filled it again. She reached over to the remote, and poked the power button, making the television screen pop up to the news. She then went back to her drink.

"Blabbed to John and Michael, ended up betraying Jonathan, got suspended..." she took another swallow. "S'been a pretty _fucking good week s_o far, Chance!" she raised her glass in sarcastic cheer to Chance, who was laying down at her feet, his wary eyes on the slowly draining bottle of red liquid.

"Oh, damn..." Beth said after a moment. "I promised I'd let him use his toxin on me if I told...ugh..." she set her glass down and massaged her temple. "Why the _hell_ did I say that? Why, you stupid, _stupid _girl..." she'd have to tell him who she was now, if she wanted any hope in avoiding his inevitable rage. "Next time I see him...I have to...God, this wine sucks..." she was about to get up to go to bed when the familiar redheaded reporter took over the screen.

'Terror at Arkham Asylum tonight as Jonathan Crane, a.k.a., the Scarecrow, escapes two hours ago.'

"_Fuck_..." Beth leaned back into the cushions, her eyes wide and alert.

'Reports say that the escape happened just after Jonathan Crane was escorted to Dr. Jeremiah Arkham's office for some sort of meeting. Crane attacked, and now, here we are, with no idea where he is or where he's going.'

"He's coming for me..." she muttered. He was going to use his toxin on her. He would be livid when he arrived. "Does he even know where I li-"

_*BANG BANG BANG*_

Beth froze as Chance's head went up to point at the front door. Another series of banging. Her hands gripped into fists. More banging, louder now. Chance began to growl, and she shushed him before standing and walking over the door.

"Hello?" she asked.

_"Telegram..." _a voice rasped. Beth closed her eyes and rest her forehead on the door. She remembered that day when she first heard him use that tone. The day she watched him smile a sick grin at Dodson's writhing body. The day she vowed to do everything she could to avoid the very fangs of that dark part of him. She gripped the doorknob, her heart racing. The beast was at her door, his fangs bare.

The Scarecrow had come to visit.

...

**Author's Note: Aaaaaand, yet another of thos damned cliffhangers. I'm sorry, really. I would have added more, but I need to sleep tonight, lol. We're getting pretty close to the great realization! (At least I hope so, my mind can be pretty unpredictable, haha) **

**Thank you ever so much for the wonderful reviews! They make my day when I read them, truly! Hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned! ;D**


	18. Bethany Has A Not-So-Heartfelt Reunion

She reached up and unlocked the door. It was forced open, and hit her upside the head before she could step back. She fell to the floor, spots clouding her vision. Through the haze she watched him walk in. He wore the classic tattered suit with the buckles hanging off the arms of the jacket to make it seem almost like a straight jacket. His mask was on, and cocked to the side as he looked to her through the stitched holes.

"Oh dear, was I responsible for that?" he asked. Beth clenched her jaw and said nothing. He tsked, and closed the door gently behind him. "Oh, Dr. Landon...of all times to keep your pathetic mouth shut, you choose now?"

"I didn't say anything to Arkham." she said. His head tilted down.

"Really? That's not what I've been told." he said, and he looked around the room. "This is a nice little place you have here. I almost couldn't find it." he stepped towards her, and Chance jumped out from behind the couch to face him, his fur bristled and his teeth bare. Jonathan paused, and raised his cuff at the wolf. Chance jumped at him before he could send a smog of toxin through the cuff, and bit him hard in the forearm. Jonathan cried out, and Chance threw him to the floor with one motion of his head. Chance then stood over him and growled. Jonathan was pinned, gripping his now bleeding arm.

"Chance, stay." Beth said. He huffed as an answer, and stood stock still. She crawled over to Jonathan and removed his mask. His rage-filled eyes shot up to her, and he snarled.

"Give me my mask!"

"Calm down, or I light it on fire!" she said back.

"It'll be the final act you ever commit, believe you me, doctor." he hissed. Beth swallowed, and set the mask down next to her. She looked at his arm.

"If you promise to behave, I'll wrap up your arm." she said. He scoffed.

"The minute I get out from under this damned thing I'm going to make you wish you were never born."

"That's a bit cliche, isn't it? Besides, if you attack me, this two hundred and fifty pound wolf is going to rip you to shreds. An injury like that might get in the way with your experiments. Fuck, this hurts..." she lightly touched the area on the side of her head that he had hit with the door. A small knot was forming, and she didn't know if she was bleeding or not. "I need ice, and you need that wrapped up, can you please act civil-"

"You promised that I could experiment on you if you told anyone what I told you, Dr. Landon." he cut her off. "I don't like when people go against their word..."

"Well, you'll have to keep the chemistry set locked up, because I didn't tell anyone. Arkham was secretly recording our sessions without me knowing. He showed me them today, I protested, I was suspended, I tried to get drunk, and now I'm trying to talk sense into a mad doctor while both on a buzz and suffering from a head injury..." she ticked off each thing on her fingers, then looked back to him. "Believe me, Jonathan. I said absolutely nothing to anyone. If I'd known about the videos sooner, I'd have either had them stopped or had us talk about anything about Beth." she said.

"Arkham told me you knew about the videos." he said. She frowned at him.

"You believed that sack of shit? I thought you were smarter than that." she said.

"What if you're only saying this to keep me from killing you?" he asked. She reached over and patted Chance's frizzled mane, and the wolf gave a low growl in response.

"I don't _need_ lies to keep you from killing me, Dr. Crane. If I say the right word, my puppy here will rip your face off without a second thought." she said. "If you use the toxin on me, all I have to do is scream and you're dead. If you use your toxin on him, we both die while he rampages. I don't think you brought a gun, since you seem to have been confident about this. Am I right?" she asked. If he had nodded, she would have known he were lying, but his head remained stationary, facing her and Chance. He didn't have one.

"Fine, just get this damned thing off of me." he finally muttered, and Beth smirked before scratching Chances head.

"Off, boy." she said sweetly, and Chance moved off of Jonathan. She watched as Jonathan sat up and moved back away from Chance, an agitated look on his face. "Things not go as you planned, doc?" she asked. He gripped his arm.

"Not exactly. You said you'd get this tended to." he said. Beth nodded and stood to walk to the kitchen, dropping Jonathan's mask onto the coffee table as she went.

"Stay, Chance." she said, and Chance plopped right down in front of Jonathan, fixing his icy blue eyes on the doctor as if begging him to move. He hadn't had anything but squirrels to hunt in a while, after all...

Beth came back with a medical box and she knelt down next to Jonathan. "Can you take off your jacket, please?" she asked. He shrugged off the jacket and tossed it onto the carpet. Now he only had on a worn white long sleeved button up shirt. Pieces of the torn arm clung to his wound. "Shirt to, please. I don't want the fabric in the way." she said. He gave a sadistic smirk.

"Of course you don't..." he said, and she blushed as he unbuttoned his shirt before taking it off and placing it next to his jacket. The wound itself wasn't so bad. Just some small puncture holes from Chance's teeth. Nothing serious. She opened the medical box and took out a small bottle of alcohol. After pouring some onto a washcloth, she pressed it onto his arm. He hissed as the alcohol stung his wound, and he clenched his hands into fists.

"You're such a baby, jeez..." she muttered. His eyes shot to her in warning, and she chuckled. She removed the washcloth and grabbed some gauze from the box. She placed two sheets over his arm and wrapped medical tape around his arm to keep them in place. When she tied the small knot, she backed up and viewed her handiwork.

"Very crude bandage, coming from a doctor." Jonathan said, also scanning over her work. She sighed and stood.

"I didn't have to help you, you know." she said. "If you'll excuse me for a sec, I need to put this stuff away. Chance, down, he's okay." she said. Chance relaxed instantly, and his tongue lolled out of his mouth as he eyed Jonathan thoughtfully. Beth took the medical supplies back to the kitchen, and she placed them on the counter. "If you stay, I'll change the bandage again in a few hours." she called. Jonathan stayed frozen in his spot on the floor. He came to kill this woman, and she ended up taking care of him. He glared at the hulking beast in front of him. How the hell was he supposed to know she had a monster for a protector? Shaking his head, he stood, keeping an eye on Chance as he maneuvered his way to the couch and sat down. He looked at the television screen. The report about him was still going, and he smiled when he saw the number of people injured. Only one. Arkham.

"I seem to always aim for that leg with sharp objects, don't I, Jerry?" he asked under his breath.

"What?" Beth asked when she returned. She had an icepack resting against her head, and she looked over at Jonathan in mild curiosity. He shook his head.

"Nothing. Have you called the police?" he asked.

"No, why?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing, I just figured you would, what with me being a _homicidal madman _and whatnot..." his words dripped with sarcasm, and she chuckled before pointing to Chance.

"I don't think he's allowed in Gotham, so I don't want the police snooping around here. You're safe." she picked up the wine bottle and went to hand it to him. "Would the Scarecrow care for some wine to go with that gash in his arm?" she asked.

"Desperately..." he took the bottle and drank from it. His face scrunched in distaste. "That is atrocious." he said.

"I must disagree. It's the most expensive wine from the general store."

"Ah, my apologies." he looked at the label. "two thousand and three is a good year."

"Only the best. Gimme." she snatched the bottle from him and took another drink. Jonathan then decided to regard her clothes. A sort of baggy black shirt with green harts on the front and very short black shorts that showed off her lean yet muscular legs. She must have been a runner or something. He couldn't help but see her as a teen when he took in her entire appearance. She seemed so young.

"You're really in love with that bottle, aren't you?" he asked when she took another drink. She eyed him with hooded grey irises.

"Don't think I'm an alcoholic. I usually keep a thousand sharp objects between me and this stuff, but what happened today was good reason to crawl through the razors and take a chance with it." she muttered, and set the wine roughly back down on the table. "Asshole didn't have a right to suspend me..."

"So, you never told anyone what I said..." he said slowly. She shook her head vigorously.

"Not a damned thing. Sorry to disappoint and kill your fear-buzz." she said with a smirk. Jonathan curled his lip and pointed to the television screen.

"So long as people exist, I'll never lose my, as you call it, fear-buzz." he said cruelly. "As long as they exist, there will be greed, unjust superiority, and ignorance, and I will be in the shadows, waiting to make them open their pathetic sheepish eyes and make them see that they are in terrible danger of themselves, and me. I will make them scream." Beth remembered Ra's teaching her by similar words, and nodded.

"It's really disturbing, isn't it?" she asked. "These people cause most of this city's problems, and they don't even see it. A lot of the time I think it should be them to be thrown into Ark-_mmph_!"

Beth stopped when something covered her mouth. Something warm. It was Jonathan.

He was kissing her.

Beth grabbed his shoulders and pulled herself away, her face bright red.

"_What the hell are you doing_?!" she asked loudly. Jonathan stared intently at her, and leaned over.

"Does that question need to be answered, Dr. Landon?" he asked in a hushed whisper. In his mind, he was screaming the same question. What the hell was he doing? This was highly unprofessional. Idiotic, to an extent. He just couldn't help himself. When she said those words, she had somehow separated herself from the rest of those insects. She saw their flaws, their blindness, and thought it repulsive, just as he did. She was an odd specimen, indeed.

And he _reveled _in it.

"This is _crazy_." she said when he went to kiss her again.

"Then it's expected, since, after all, I _am_ considered mentally insane." he said before capturing her mouth with his own. She didn't push him away this time, and he smiled inside his mind in triumph.

Beth didn't know what happened to her arms. They seemed to stop working. She definitely didn't tell them to wrap themselves around Jonathan's neck and pull him closer. This was crazy. Madness. Insanity. Incest? No, they weren't related. So what was the problem?

_The last time I saw him was when I was twelve, for Christ's sake! _No, the last time she'd seen him was fifteen seconds ago when she closed her eyes as his lips traveled down her neck to her collar bone. A noise escaped her mouth, and she felt him smile against her skin. What the hell was this? Dream or Nightmare?

She tensed when his hands found their way under her shirt. One hand drifted over the scar on her stomach. The one he gave her. She was numb in that small area of pale tissue, the nerves permanently damaged, but the edges seemed to be on fire, and she gasped and gripped his hair.

"Th-this is wrong..." she said, her voice hitched.

"I won't argue, but I won't stop, either..." he growled against her neck. He slowly lifted her shirt to expose her stomach, and her eyes slammed shut. She knew he'd see it. He'd ask about it, it was in his nature to inquire. She knew she couldn't lie anymore. She just desperately wished he wouldn't find out in this situation. Any time before now would have been perfect. But now it was too late.

"Shit-"

"What is this?" he asked, and she opened her eyes. He was staring at the scar on her abdomen. He lightly touched it, and it sent tremors down her skin.

"A scar." she said quietly. He raised a brow as if to say, 'well, duh...'

"I see that. Why is it there?" he asked. She took a deep, shuddering breath, and pushed her shirt down before sitting up straight.

"I was injured by a man I truly cared about." she said. He looked at her face now, mildly interested. She went on. "He didn't mean to. It was an accident. I almost died."

"Who was this man?" he asked.

"A sort of father figure, I guess. He cared a lot about me."

"You speak in past tense. Is he dead?"

"No. It's just been a long time since we've seen each other. I've seen him very recently, but he hasn't noticed me yet, so he doesn't know I'm back."

"Do you want him to see you?" Jonathan asked. She nodded.

"Very badly." she said.

"Then see him."

"It's complicated. I've done some things, Dr. Crane, and I think he may hate me if I reveal myself to him, you see." she said. Tears began to form in her eyes, and she looked shamefully down. He lifted her chin with his finger, and looked at her speculatively.

"It seems to me that he has no right to be angry with you. He did nearly take your life, after all. Besides, if he really did care about you, then he wouldn't care about anything you've done, Dr. Landon." he said sternly. Beth clenched her jaw and looked directly up into his eyes.

"Jonathan..." she muttered. "I...I'm Bethany. Bethany Niles."

The following silence was deathly quiet, and Beth kept careful not to make any moves as the doctor's body became rigid. He finally snapped out of it, and his hold on her chin tightened.

"I'll not take jokes like that, Dr. Landon-"

"I'm not lying!" she pushed his hand away and grabbed his shoulders. "Jonathan, doc, it's me! That scar is from when you shot me! Ra's-"

_*SLAP* _

Beth nearly fell off the couch at the force of his hand, and she sucked in a breath. He stood. Chance was growling again, viciously, ready to jump at his human's command. Jonathan didn't even seem to notice.

"Taking information from me, then twisting it to play games with my mind. I'm not one who enjoys being tricked, Dr. Landon." he said. Beth was becoming angry. How could she convince this man?

"The first night I met you, you said you were my savior for the moment, but usually my worst nightmare." she said when he advanced on her. He stopped, and she went on quickly. "You told me I was brave to try and play mind games with you when I tried to get you to read to me. My worst fear is of the dark. My brother was sadistic, and my mother did nothing while my father did everything and _took _everything from me! That's why I killed them! Jonathan!" tears fell down her face. She was too tired to cry. She leaned on the back cushion of the couch. "Believe me. It's me..."

Jonathan stood stock still. He'd never said what she just told him to a living soul, and she couldn't just be guessing. His eyes ran over her features. Black hair, grey eyes, freckles. Ridiculous teenage-style clothing. Incredibly youthful visage.

What.

The.

_Fuck._

"Beth..." he said. The name felt dry against his throat, like it hadn't been used in a long time for its proper purpose. She nodded vigorously, and his eye twitched. How the fuck did he not notice this sooner? He barely noticed himself sit roughly down on the couch. He simply looked forward silently. Beth bit her lip.

"Jonathan?" she asked quietly. He tensed, suddenly feeling his temper rising. She was alive this entire time, and he had been a fool. She made him into a fool, and she didn't say a damned thing about it. Fuck, they spent sessions talking about her for days.

"I need to leave." his voice was bitter, and he stood again and snatched his mask from the table, then walked to the door. She called after him, but he ignored her and slammed the door open before disappearing into the dark.

Beth waited for some long minutes before finally standing. Her hands were balled to fists. She didn't even get to explain. He wouldn't listen, and just left before she could speak. She took the bottle of wine and threw it as hard as she could against the wall. It shattered, splatting red on the white walls and the tan carpet. She instantly regretted it, and sighed heavily.

"Don't step in that, Chance..." she muttered. She walked over to the open doorway and closed the door softly before turning to walk to her room. She noticed his shirt and jacket on the floor, and picked them up. She felt something inside the jacket sleeve, and reached in to pull out a small vial of fear toxin connected to a kind perfume pump. "Souvenir..." she said, and threw the shirt into the trash. She took the jacket and toxin to her room and placed them in her closet in the back, obscured by her other clothing so no one would notice.

She walked over to her bed, and slumped onto it. Today, she had been lied to, suspended from work, failed at becoming drunk, attacked, made out with, attacked again, then left in hopeless confusion.

_Lovely._

_..._

**Author's Note: Sorry for lateness, I had school junk, lol. Hope you enjoyed this chappie! Again, thanks for the awesomely super amazing reviews! :D Stay tuned for next!**


	19. Bethany is Challenged

Bethany waited two days to leave the house, calling in sick from the asylum. She really didn't even see the point in going there again, except maybe for identity's sake. Jonathan was the only reason she went initially, and now he'd escaped, and he knew who she was. Her mission there was complete.

No.

The mission was a failure. The original plan was to infiltrate, learn, reunite, then leave while secretly under a new employer. She was supposed to be working for him now, currently, at this moment in time.

And she wasn't.

It backfired.

She fucked up.

"_Fuck._.."

She sat roughly down on the couch, inspecting the gadget she found in his sleeve. A simple thing that could be hidden easily in her coat when she went to Arkham next. But what would she do with it? Who would she be helping when she used this thing? Joker? Hell no. Ivy...perhaps... What was she even thinking, contemplating a new allegiance? She worked six years for _The Scarecrow._ Even during her time training, she considered herself under his employment. But now...

"The son of a bitch didn't even let me explain..." she dropped the gadget on the cushion and leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. This was aggravating. He wasn't supposed to run, but she wasn't supposed to wait so long, either. They were both at fault.

The phone rang, and she groaned.

"Chance, answer the phone, please..." she said before getting up and walking over to the phone and picking it up. "Hullo?"

"Dr. Landon?"

"Dr. Leland?" Beth asked.

"Oh, good, you're there. I was only a bit worried, what with your patient-"

"Dr. Crane..." Beth hated hearing doctor's refer to their patients as "the patient". It was annoying.

"Yes, I was just worried. Since his escape, you haven't come into work."

"I've been feeling off lately." Beth said with half-truth. "I didn't want to risk getting anyone else sick with what I have, so I stayed home. Thank you for worrying, though."

"When do you expect to be in next?" Dr. Leland asked. Beth chewed the inside of her mouth.

"I haven't a clue, really. I'll let you know when my condition gets better." she said.

"I do hope you get better soon; Dr. Arkham is getting testy about having to sub for you."

"Did you just call to relay his message, Leland?" Beth asked pointedly, and Dr. Leland gasped.

"Oh, no, no of course not." Beth read right through the lie, and shook her head and said nothing. Leland gave some nervous 'well-wells' and cleared her throat. "I-I need to go, Dr. Landon. Patients, you see. I'll speak with you later-"

Beth hung up and sighed. So Arkham was on her back now?

"Fine, I'll humor him..." she muttered, and looked over to the gadget on the couch. "For now..."

...

**(...TWO WEEKS LATER...)**

After returning about a week before, Beth was quickly grilled on work ethic and employee behavior by Arkham. Now she was back in his office for harshly scolding a guard for harassing Harley at lunch. Apparently she wasn't supposed to do that...

"You need to learn your place in this asylum, Dr. Landon." Arkham said. "If not for the fact that the higher risk patients actually enjoyed your speaking to them, I'd have cast you out weeks ago."

"So, I'm important to your reputation?" she asked. He didn't respond, and placed a folder in front of her. She'd picked it up and looked inside. "Waylon Jones...Killer Croc..." she mumbled the name with unimpressed eyes, then looked back up to Arkham, who had clearly not appreciated her response to being given such a dangerous patient.

"Nervous?" he asked anyway, as if he'd rehearsed this and didn't want to waste the lines he'd practiced so diligently. Beth closed the folder and smiled sweetly.

"I'm not afraid of reptiles, Dr. Arkham." she said, and stood to walk out.

"You'll be seeing that monster tomorrow at four p.m. He doesn't much like walking around early the day." he called. Beth stopped and fingered the gadget hiding in her sleeve threateningly. If only...

"Yes, I'm alright with seeing _Mr. Jones_ towards evening." she said, and walked out before he could find another way to anger her further.

...

"Whoah, _whoah_, Mr. Jones. Let's be rational-"

"_Shut the fuck up!_"

"I can do that." Beth leaned back in her seat as he leaned forward, his scaled arms outstretched and his bright yellow eyes lingering over her like she was a hunk of meat. Beth eyed the thick metal cuffs around his large wrists, the chain connecting them broken. Now all that kept him down was the anklets. Fifteen minutes into therapy and he was already loose.

Where the hell were the guards?

"They don't make these things like they used to..." Croc growled, yanking the cuffs off his wrists and tossing them aside. Drool dropped from his mouth of razored teeth and he tapped the collar around his neck with one of his claws. "This fuckin' thing...I hate it...I'm hungry..." Beth didn't like how his eyes narrowed at her as he noted his hunger, and she gulped. Yeah, she wasn't much liking reptiles at this moment. "I smell your fear..." he said. She cleared her throat.

"You don't say?" she asked. He inhaled deeply and growled in slight surprise at something.

"I smell..._fear._..." he said.

"You've established that..." she said back. He snarled, and pointed at her wrist.

"There. Scarecrow's scent." he said. Beth stammered and crossed her arms.

"I, I have no idea what-"

Before she could finish, Croc lashed out at her, scratching her face and sending her backward to the floor. She touched her face, feeling the stinging lines on her cheek and chin.

"I'm currently not secured, _doc._" he rasped. "Don't fucking lie. Where'd you get that shit?"

"Scarecrow." she managed to say, her voice pained. She sat up and backed up to the far wall. "Ow..."

"Lucky _bitch_..." he growled. "I'd have you for lunch, but that shit doesn't sit right with me..." he said. He lifted his hand, his claws red at the tips, and licked them with a grey tongue. "At least I got a taste." he said, and snarled a harsh laugh. The door banged open, and guards ran in, pointing their weapons at Croc and shouting at him to kep still. Beth stood shakily, and walked over to the door. She looked back at Croc before she left, and his mouth curved upward to a cruel smile. "See you later, _doc_.."

...

Beth sat down in the rec room an hour later to oversee a group therapy session Dr. Charmin was going to be conducting. She sat over at the couch, and watched as the rogues all filed in and sat in a circle of metal fold-out chairs. She touched the bandage that covered her cheek. The medic said that there would be scarring later, but it would be light, and easy to cover with makeup.

"Oh, Dr. Landon..." a silky voice said to her, and she looked up to see Ivy giving her an intent stare.

"Hello, Miss Ivy." she said. Ivy stroked the bandage with a delicate finger.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Killer Croc had a go at me. I'll be fine."

"Oh, poor baby.." Ivy knelt down and kissed her exposed cheek, and Beth felt herself blush. Ivy's lips brushed her ear, and she whispered, "So, it didn't work out with Jon, hmm? _Bethany.._." she pulled back and smiled at Beth' face contort into an odd array of expressions. She put her finger over Beth's mouth before she could finish. "I've known since you arrived, darling. Don't worry, your little secret's safe with me, of course."

"Uh-huh..." Beth mumbled, her eyes wide as saucers. "How'd you-"

"Know? Well, quite simply, we all have our own scent when it comes to pheromones. I remember yours." Ivy whispered. "So sweet..."

"I wanna watch t.v.!" a Jersey accent shouted, and Beth felt Harley jump onto the couch next to her. The clown girl grabbed the remote and flicked on the television.

"Harley." Charmin said exasperatedly. "Get back over here so we can start the session. You to, Ivy!" Joker narrowed his eyes at him and licked his lips.

"Are, uh, you talkin' to my little Harley like that, doc?" he asked. Charmin sputtered.

"I-uhm, uh..."

"I didn't think so..." Joker said. "Harley! Get the hell over here!" he called, and Harley jumped from the couch and cartwheeled over to Joker and sat in his lap.

"Anything for my puddin', Mistah J.!" she said, and kissed him. Charmin blushed at this public display of affection. Beth felt Ivy poke her shoulder and point to the television. Beth looked to it, and her jaw dropped. She grabbed the remote and turned up the volume.

'-ured last night at Gotham City Central Bank by the Batman. Jonathan Crane was being transferred from the M.C.U. to Arkham Asylum twenty minutes ago. This is the footage from last nights capture of this notorious villain.' said Vicky Vale before a video popped up. Beth hadn't noticed the rest of the rogues gathered around the couch, all watching in grim empathy as Scarecrow was taken out from the back by Batman at the bank entrance. He didn't even make it out the door.

"The hell did that happen for?" Beth asked, her hands in fists. She should have been there. If she was, that certainly wouldn't have happened. _She wasn't there_. She watched as they replayed the tackle over and over again, and her lip curled in rage as she imagined all the people in Gotham cheering at the sight of the fallen Scarecrow.

_Shit..._

_"Ehem_..." Riddler cleared his throat and tapped Beth on the head. "Whatever has happened to the dear doctor?" he asked. Beth grinded her teeth.

"I'm...fine..." she growled.

"Mm-hmm..." he mumbled, and moseyed back over to his seat. "Well, I guess dear Scarecrow will be joining us shortly."

"He's here." Ivy said.

"How'd ya know that, Red?" Harley asked. Ivy tapped her nose.

"His pheromones, obviously. He should be in here in a few seconds." she said, and looked at Beth. "Now, you two behave yourselves..."

Beth didn't even have time to respond, as the door to the rec room opened, revealing Jonathan Crane with a bruised eye and cut lip. Beth stood and walked over to him. He said nothing as she inspected his face.

"What is he doing here?" she asked. "He should be taken to the medical wing to be cleaned up-"

"I'm fine, _Dr. Landon_." Jonathan said, not looking at her. The orderly gripping his arm shrugged at Beth.

"He said he was fine, and refused any treatment, so we brought him straight here-"

"And not to his cell?" Beth asked.

"Dr. Leland saw how calm he was, and said he should go to group therapy before that." the orderly said, and handed Jonathan over to her. She took his arm and the orderly gave her the keys to his wrist and ankle cuffs. "She says to let him out of the cuffs when he got here, I'll be outside if you need me." he closed the door behind him as he left, and Beth lead Jonathan over to a metal seat and tossed him the keys when he sat down.

"I think you can do that yourself..." she muttered. He smirked and took them from his lap.

"Very unprofessional, _doctor_..."

"I could say the same thing, Scarecrow." Beth mumbled, and sat down next to him in one of the chairs. Dr. Charmin cleared his throat and called the other rogues to join them in the circle, and they did, only because they had noticed the little battle of words between Beth and Jonathan, and they wanted to dig into it a bit. Dr. Charmin gathered his papers before he began the session. "Alright, so how is everyone feeling today?" he asked, and pointed to Harley to go first. She tapped her chin.

"Uh...I feel good." she said. Dr. Charmin nodded and pointed to Jonathan, who was rubbing his wrists after removing the cuffs.

"Oh, _what_ do I feel..." he said quizzically. "Anger...annoyance..._betrayal_..."

"Betrayal?" Charmin asked, and Beth snorted, earning an angry eye from Jonathan.

"Yes, betrayal." He said. "I recently had a run-in with an...old acquaintance, and found out that they had betrayed me-"

"And did you stay long enough to figure _why_ they did such a thing, Jonathan?" Beth asked. "Or did you run before they could get a word in-"

"I don't need explanation."

"Says the obsessive scientist." they were both staring at each other now, and, save for Two-Face and Hatter, the rogues watched with wide eyes and large grins. "I always believed you to be the type of person who analyzed a situation before coming up with any conclusions, Dr. Crane." she said.

"And I always thought you to be the type of person who'd give a little heads up." Jonathan muttered.

"What was done was necessary."

"For what?"

"The demon's head is very secretive..." Beth said under her breath so that Charmin couldn't hear. Surely Jonathan knew that Ra's Al Ghul's name meant 'the demon's head'. She calmed a bit when he narrowed his eyes in understanding.

"You were with that person?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Uhm, I think we should get back on track." Charmin said from his seat. No one heard him.

"Under his care, he decided what was best for me." Beth said.

"_Six years_..." Jonathan hissed.

"It would've been four and a half, but I didn't feel ready."

"For _what_?"

"For keeping what happened last night from happening again. _Honestly,_ Jonathan," Beth raised her voice to normal and leaned back in her seat. "you had one hell of a blind spot to allow the Batman to creep up behind you like that." she said, and the Rogues snickered.

"Dr. Landon, I'd like to get back to the session." Charmin said.

"So, am I to be doctor for much longer, Crane?" Beth asked Jonathan. "Or will a little red hood be replacing the white coat?" Jonathan sneered at this, and cocked his head to the side.

"If you're so _skilled_ in your profession after six years, I have a challenge for you first." he said.

"I like those."

"Good, then this one should be _fun_ for you." he said. "Tomorrow night." he gestured to the other Rogues. "Out."

"Out?"

"_Out._.." he said. Beth nodded.

"Everyone?"

"_Everyone..._"

"Alright then." Beth clapped her hands together, and smiled at the others. "Then so be it." The Rogues wide grins became sinister smiles. They certainly knew what _'out' _meant, and they all looked at Dr. Landon with intense curiosity. Jonathan only regarded her with mild indifference.

"Good luck then." he said and held his hand out for her to shake. She took it, and smiled at him, feeling for a moment like it was old times again.

"What are you two talking about? _Challenge_?" Charmin asked. Beth took her hand back and looked kindly to Charmin.

"Oh, yes. It's a chess tournament that Dr. Crane and I have decided to play. Everyone will be involved, of course." she said.

"And when is this going to happen?" he asked.

"Tomorrow night at the next group therapy session, if you'll be okay with that." she said, her eyes flicking to the others.

"And how is that going to help these people?" Charmin asked.

"It'll get their minds working on something other than _escape plans_, that's for sure." Beth joked.

"Yeah, let us do it, doc!" Harley said. "I wanna play!"

"Playing chess has been proven to be quite therapeutic to anyone involved, Barry. Didn't you know that?" Riddler asked, picking his nails. Charmin coughed and gave a stiff nod.

"O-of course." he lied. "Fine, we'll do it tomorrow, but everyone has to _behave_, or they can't come!" he said. Beth looked them all over with a stern eye.

"That's right, make sure you are able to come, because I want to get everyone here for this. _Understood_?" she asked, and they nodded vigorously. Joker began to cackle in his chair.

"Ooo-hoo-hoo! This is so fucked up, it's funny!" he gripped his sides, and Harley patted his back lovingly. Beth clasped her hands behind her head and smiled at Jonathan.

She had a lot of preparations to do...

...

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Eat turkey, be thankful for what you have, and then _EAT MORE TURKEY_! Hope you liked the chapter and thanks for your reviews! Stay tuned! ;D**


	20. Bethany Breaks Everyone Out

"So, why the sudden need to hang out?"

"I just don't think I'll be able to do this for a while after tomorrow, so I'm getting it done."

"Uh-huh..."

Beth and Sarah walked through the club, the strobe lights making their skin and clothing seem multicolored. Ne-Yo blared through the speakers as people danced, mingled, and took group pictures. Beth sat at the bar with Sarah, and they ordered drinks.

"So what's gonna happen tomorrow?" Sarah asked after downing a shot of tequila. Beth sipped at her pina colada carefully.

"I'm trying out for a new job, and, if I get it, I won't be able to see you as much." she said.

"Ooo, what is it?"

"See those bouncers at the entrance over there?" Beth asked, pointing to some built men by the exit. Sarah nodded. "I'll have that kind of job, except there will be more running around."

"I don't get it."

"All I can say is this job will take up a lot of my time."

"Sounds suspicious..."

"Then you're thinking too much." Beth said, and waved at the barman to bring Sarah another shot of tequila. "This is the one night I don't want to think too much on."

"I second that statement." Sarah said, picking up the new glass.

"All in favor to not think, say aye."

"Aye."

"Motion passed. Onto other business!" Beth and Sarah laughed, and clinked glasses before taking another drink. Sarah's eyes wandered over the crowd, and she smiled.

"Cute guy looking at you, hun." she said. Beth rolled her eyes and looked over to the man Sarah was talking about.

"_Charmin_?" she asked. The guy smiled at her and waved before jogging over.

"Hey, ladies!" he said. Beth scanned his clothing. A white long sleeved shirt with the top three buttons unbuttoned, and black pants. His hair was slicked back, and he wore unnecessary sunglasses.

"You know this guy?" Sarah asked.

"I work with him..." Beth said, and Sarah nodded.

"Lucky..."

"So, you two seem to not be having too much fun over here all by yourself." Charmin said, and bowed. "Allow me to save the day!" he said. Beth looked over to the dancing people. Grind lines were everywhere, and everyone seemed much to...personal...in their movements for her tastes. She waved her hands.

"I'm quite alright. Sarah will dance, though." she said. Sarah nodded and winked at Charmin, and he grinned.

"Cool. I'll get you later though, Landon. Mark my words." he said, and led Sarah over to the floor. Beth turned back around and stared into her glass. So, she wouldn't be spending her time in these places for a long time after this. She took a drink.

"That doesn't so bad, actually." she muttered. The only thing she'd miss from all this was Sarah, her first and only _normal_ friend. She wondered how Sarah would react when she figured her friend wasn't who she claimed to be, and she looked over to Sarah, who wasn't having any trouble getting 'personal' with Charmin. She smirked. "If she can dig a guy like that, I think she can get over me..."

"Talkin' to yourself, lady?" the barkeep asked. He was a fat young man, with dyed black hair and black clothing. "That's a sign of craziness, you know." he said. Beth gave him a genuine smile.

"Maybe that's all I am, my friend."

...

The next day at three p.m., Beth parked in her usual spot at the asylum, and walked in as if it were any normal day at the office. She carried a bag in with her, carrying contents that were far from normal. Once she made it past the metal detector, she calmed down, and walked swiftly for the evidence room. Opening the door, she walked inside the dank area and scanned for the object of her interest. She found it after ten minutes of searching, having to haul aside a large wooden hammer and an assortment of top-hats. She picked it up and smiled at it.

Scarecrow's mask.

Under it was a box labeled 'Crane', and she looked inside. There was an odd glove with needles at the end of the leather fingertips, a bag of hay labeled 'dangerous', and a brown tattered burlap hood that appeared to sinch at the neck by a hangman's rope to keep it in place.

"Interesting..." she muttered, and closed the box and shoved it back. She placed the mask into her bag and left the room quickly to go to her office. Her session with Killer Croc was now in forty-five minutes. She sighed, and sat the bag down on the floor.

The next part would be hard...

...

"Mr. Jones, glad to see you, sir." Beth said when Croc was sat down in the large chair and chained to the floor by his ankles. His hands were now cuffed behind his back with large shackles. The guards lingered in the large office, looking to Beth for any orders. "You can leave now, gentlemen. He won't talk if you're present."

"You'll be fine here?" one named Cash asked, and she nodded.

"Yes. If I need you, I'll use the remote to his shock collar and call you in." she said. The guards nodded, and left the room, closing the door behind them. Beth waited a moment before leaning forward in her seat. "Alright, let's cut the shit here, Croc." she whispered. Croc narrowed his eyes at her.

"You got some nerve today, _doc_. But you're still fuckin' afraid."

"Only because what happens now will substantially effect my later plans for today. Now," she held up some keys and jingled them in front of him. "These are the keys to that nasty collar of yours." Croc growled, and she hid them in her sleeve where the toxin rested. "And I'm willing to give them to you right now, but you need to make a deal with me first." she said.

"I could just rip you apart and take them now-"

"But the guards outside are ready and equipped with weapons that hold armor piercing rounds that could go through that thick hide of yours. You'd be dead before you could get the first lock off that thing." she said. Croc shifted in his seat.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"For you to create a distraction for me. About fifteen minutes worth. See, I know that ordinary bullets just sting a bit when you're hit by them, and I know that the armor piercing rounds are shut away in the armory when you aren't being transported. Now, the lock on the armory's code is about to be changed, so those weapons won't be able to be reached, and you'll be able to run rampant without too much trouble at all."

"How'm I gonna get the fuck outta that sewer?" he asked.

"I'll take care of that. When we return you, I'll follow, claiming I'd like to inspect your behavior around others. When the hatch to the sewer is opened, I'll make sure they don't lock it. You'll just need to wait for the proper time." she held up a watch. "Six-fifteen, to be exact. You'll then escape, and cause the fifteen minute distraction before you go on your way. Deal?"

"What the fuck are you planning on doing, _doc?_" he asked suspiciously.

"You must know by now that I'm no doc, Jones. Just a person making a business deal. There are no traps or anything waiting for you. I'm telling the truth." she said. He stared directly into her eyes as she spoke, and he finally growled and nodded.

"Fuckin' fine. When do I get the key?" he asked.

"Right now. But you need to hide the key and this watch in your mouth. It's the only place the guards won't dare to check, what with those teeth." she said. "And, I need you to look like you attacked me, so we can end this session now. I have other preparations to complete before you escape, and that'll take all my time." she said. Croc laughed.

"First time a dumbass asked to be attacked by me. How we gonna do this?" he asked.

"Don't really hurt me, obviously." Beth said quickly. "But you need to bring your mouth close so I can give you the key and watch. Are you able to break out of those shackle-"

Before she could finish, Croc snapped the shackles behind him in two halves and lunged at her, knocking her to the floor with a loud clatter. She cursed in surprise, and felt his breath beat on her as she raised her hand with the keys and watch to his mouth. His tongue flicked out and licked her hand, taking the items into his mouth as she shuddered. The guards banged the door open right afterward and barked orders at Croc to back off, and the reptile did, smiling a wide toothed grin.

"You really do taste good,_ doc._.." he rasped, and grumbled a low laugh as she sat up.

"Shut the hell up!" Cash shouted. Croc looked over to him.

"I'm going to kill you first, Cash..." he said.

"Like hell you will, you sick fuck." Cash shouted. "You alright, doc?" he asked Beth, who stood.

"I'm fine." she said with fake worry.

"They'll take this trash back to his cell. You should go to the medical wing-"

"No, I would like to accompany them to his cell." she said.

"What?" Cash asked, surprised. Beth nodded, and walked up to Croc.

"Mr. Jones, it doesn't matter how much you attack me, it won't stop me from wanting to help you." she said, and looked to Cash as Croc rolled his eyes. "I'd like to observe how he acts outside of the office. It may help with future sessions." she said. Cash thought for a moment before finally nodding.

"You know what's best, doc. But be careful, alright?" he asked, and he watched them leave as they began their trek to Croc's cell, the entire trip being deathly quiet save for the occasional orders from one of the two guards.

When they reached the large round hatch that was the door to his cell, a large, sectioned off sewer, one of the guards walked forward and turned the metal wheel that kept the thing closed. When the hatch creaked open, they ushered Croc in, and his yellow eyes found Beth's before the hatch closed again.

"Show-time..." she muttered, and dropped to the metal floor. The guards looked back and rushed to her.

"Hey, lady, you alright?" one asked. Her eyes fluttered dramatically, and she looked up at them with surprise.

"Oh, _dear._" she said. "I must have hit my head harder than I thought when he attacked me earlier..." she sat up slowly, showing dizziness in her movements. "Could you two take me to the medical wing, please?" she asked sweetly, batting her lashes.

"Uh, okay." one said, and they helped her up.

"Thank you _so_ much." she said, and leaned on one of their arms. He blushed, and gave a half smile.

"N-no problem." he said. Beth looked forward, feeling smug. The old princess/hero romance cliche.

Men were _so_ easy to manipulate...

...

Beth waited for break time to go to the armory, a bandage on her head from the medical wing. The doctor there even joked about how often she visited before she left, saying that they'd see her later for some other reason, they supposed, and she actually laughed at that. The truth was always funny to her.

When she reached the armory, she walked over to the code panel. Looking around before doing so, she placed on a set of gloves and set to work.

"Fucking stupid how I can rewire a security system without setting off alarms, but I can't figure out a goddamned universal remote..." she muttered. After hacking the system, she found the password. "'_Monster'_, cute..." she breathed, and changed the password before resetting the panel and walking away, leaving no evidence of disturbance. Now all she had to do was wait. She checked her watch as she walked back to her office. It was five thirty.

Time for group therapy.

...

"Sorry I'm late, all." Beth said when she arrived at a quarter to six with her bag in her hands. They looked to her, all gathered 'round a table with a chess board. Harley and Riddler were playing against each other, and Dr. Charmin was watching over them all from his chair. Riddler seemed annoyed, and Harley seemed confused with the pieces, though she appeared to clearly be winning.

"And if I hop the horsey over here, I get the queen, right?" she asked, taking Riddler's queen. He grunted and nodded, then made his move. Joker patted her head with approval. Jonathan walked over to Beth, his hands in his pockets.

"I see we are not yet _out_." he said smugly. Beth only shook her head.

"Just wait a little bit, Dr. Crane. I know you to be an impatient man, but trust me. This'll all end in about a half hour." she said. Jonathan raised his brows once and looked back to Harley and Riddler.

"I hope so. This chess tournament is getting annoying." he said, and nodded over to Charmin, who yawned and waved at Beth. "What'll you do with lover-boy over there?" he asked. Beth cocked her head to the side.

"Lover-boy?" she asked. Crane nodded.

"He boasted all morning about seeing you with a lady-friend at some club last night, and then going home with one of you." he said humorously as Beth's face reddened. He noted this, and smiled. "I take by your silent expression of fury that his ramblings were indeed false?" he asked.

"No, they're true, but I hate how it seems you assumed that it was me that went home with him, Jonathan." she said. He shrugged.

"I thought I'd just agitate you, and it worked. Now, what's in that?" he asked looking to the bag she set down.

"Things." she answered. "He's the only doctor in here, right?" she asked. He nodded, and she leaned close to him. "I'm going to need a little help on this part." she said.

At six ten, over at the chess table, Harley used one of the pawns to hop over Riddler's king.

"'Kay, so I get that big cool one." she said. "So, I only got a few more to go, right?" she asked, regarding his other pieces that were still on the board. He grumbled.

"No, you imbecile. Once you take the king, you've won." he said. Harley blinked.

"Well, which one's the king?" she asked. Riddler's eyes widened, and he gripped his hair.

"The one you just removed from the board!"

"So...I win?" she asked.

"Grah! Yes!" Riddler shouted. Harley's face lit up and she looked over to Joker.

"I won, Mistah J.!" she said brightly.

"Ya sure did, Harls. Now let's, uh, see if you can use that kind of skill against Batsy, hmm?"

"Nygma lost?" Jonathan asked, walking forward with his hands clasped behind his back. He smirked at Riddler. "Perhaps the food here really is killing the braincells in your head as you so often claim." he said. Riddler's face went red, and he stood.

"It was luck-"

"You don't believe in luck. Luck is illogical, as you have said." Jonathan said. Riddler stepped forward, his nose nearly touching Jonathan's.

"Are you trying to say something?" he asked. Beth walked forward and put her arm between them.

"Now, boys." she said loudly. "I'll need you two to calm down, or Dr. Charmin will have to exercise his authority here." Charmin heard her, and quickly walked over to the group.

"What seems to be the problem here?" he asked. Jonathan shook his head.

"Nothing." he said.

"Better be nothing, Crane." Charmin said sternly. Jonathan nodded, and walked away. Beth turned Charmin to face her.

"Very well done, doctor." she said. "I wouldn't have ben able to keep those two apart. Thank you for helping me out." she said with a sly smile. He smiled back.

"It was no problem at all-_ugh_!" his words were cut off by a pained noise as he fell to the floor, unconscious. Jonathan, who was behind him, looked down at the doctor and smirked, a nightstick in his hand and his mask covering his face.

"Well, I can't say I never wanted to do that before." he said, and twirled the nightstick in his hand as he dropped Beth's bag in front of the surprised Rogues. Beth walked to them after placing a chair in front of the door to keep anyone from entering.

"Alright, in that is an assortment of ceramic blades. They were all I could bring in that would go past the metal detectors. They're extremely sharp and easy to break, so be careful." she said. Harley squatted down and opened the bag before handing out the white blades to everyone. When they were all equipped with one, they looked to her.

"So, what? Do we just walk out and slash at the armed guards with these things?" Riddler asked.

"No." Bet said, "We wait for the big loud noise and screams of horror."

"What the hell are you talking ab-"

A sudden shriek from outside made all their heads snap to the door.

"I'm talking about that." Beth said.

"What was that, darling?" Ivy asked, picking her nails with the ceramic blade.

"I let Killer Croc loose." Beth said simply. "He's giving us fifteen minutes to get the hell out, then he's going away, so let's move, 'kay?" she said, and ran to the door. She removed the chair, and opened it for them to go. They went, quickly, each going down their own escape route. Beth ran with Jonathan down the corridor. Doctors were running towards their offices in a panic, some of them jumping and shrieking every time Croc made some loud commotion from wherever he was. They passed the kitchen area. The walls were covered in blood. Bodies lay on the floor, doctor and patient alike, unmoving.

"Looks like Croc's had a snack..." Scarecrow muttered, and Beth walked faster.

"This way, this way, this way, ah, here." she said, and stopped him in front of an office.

Arkham's office.

"Why here?" Scarecrow asked.

"His window isn't bolted or secure, and it oversees the lobby, so we can just drop down and run out the front door. Very simple escape, really." Beth said. The office was locked, and Beth cursed as she banged on it. "Dr. Arkham! Please let me in!" she cried out. A rustling sounded in his office.

"G-go away!" he shouted. Beth bared her teeth at him from behind the door.

"Please let me in! Croc could be anywhere!" she said.

"I'm not opening that door!"

"Dammit..." Beth muttered. She was counting on him to be noble. Ha. She began to sob, all fake of course, and she leaned close to the door. "Please, please, doctor. I need your help. Please help me. I'll do anything!" she cried. Scarecrow leaned against the wall, eyeing the theatrics in amusement.

"Wh-who is that?" Arkham asked from inside.

"It's Joan!" Neth lied. Np way was he going to open the door for Landon. Some silence followed, and Beth began tapping her foot impatiently.

"A-alright, just a moment!" he said, and Beth picked up the tail of her coat to cover her face to hide it as he unbolted the door and opened it. As soon as she saw him, she raised her wrist and pressed the compressor in her hand to release a smog of toxin in his face. He doubled over backward, screaming loudly and thrashing on the floor. Scarecrow was shocked.

"What the hell-"

"You left your little toy at my place. Come on." She kept the coat firmly over her mouth as she led him into the office, still thick with the toxin. It didn't work as a very good insulator, and she began to feel the effects slowly affect her. She pointed to the window. "Open that and climb down, I'll be right behind you." she said before Arkham clawed at her leg. She hissed in pain and kicked him. Scarecrow opened the window and took off his mask. He threw it to Beth.

"It has a respirator. Put it on now." he said, and she did so. He dropped down out of sight, and she followed, leaving Arkham and his screams behind her. Once she reached the floor of the lobby, she took off the mask and handed it back to Jonathan, who quickly put it back on. Beth shook her head, the mild effects still lingering.

"I'm going to need one of those in the near future..." she said, beginning to feel nauseous as the lights in the lobby seemed to flicker. Maggots fell from Jonathan's mask, and she grimaced as her heart rate went up.

"You're lucky to be standing. That dose was well concentrated."

"Were you planning on killing me?" she said as they moved for the exit, her hand on his shoulder.

"Not kill, just seriously twist your mind for a few hours." he said.

"How considerate..."

"Cash!" a loud rasp echoed through the lobby as they reached the door. Beth looked back to see Croc chasing Cash down a hall. Once they passed, she heard Cash scream.

"And to think, you're the cause of all this chaos." Scarecrow muttered. Beth shrugged.

"It's my job."

Once they reached the outside, she lead them to her van. Jonathan made her take he passenger seat.

"I'll not have you get us killed right after you got us out." he said, and she nodded as she fastened her seatbelt and closed her eyes.

"When's this going to go away?" she asked.

"A few hours, maybe. Don't fall asleep." he said, and they drove away from the asylum. Beth opened her eyes when he said that and noticed Croc's figure run out the entrance and towards the water. He disappeared. She thought of Cash, who was very likely dead. The fact didn't phase her, and she looked over to Jonathan.

No, he wasn't Jonathan. Jonathan wasn't there right now. He was Scarecrow.

"Scarecrow...Scarecrow..." she muttered. He glanced over at her and smirked as she began to giggle hysterically.

"Oh, Miss Niles..." he mumbled. "You've always been a handful..."

...

Commissioner Gordon searched through the office of Dr. Arkham as the doctor was placed on a stretcher, still giving short bursts of screams from his hoarse throat. A frown formed on his face when he found nothing.

"What have you got?" a low voice asked. He turned to see a dark figure walk towards him, his face covered by a black cowl. Gordon splayed his hands.

"From, here, all we have is a screaming warden. Scarecrow must have gone through here. I don't know how he got toxin-"

"They keep stashes in this place, I'm sure." Batman said, and looked at Arkham. "Under his fingernails." he said, and took Arkham's shaking hand. There was blood. "I'm taking a sample."

"I wouldn think that belonged to Scarecrow-"

"Can't be sure. I think there was someone else here."

"There may have been." Gordon said, brandishing a folder as Batman took a sample from under Arkham's nail. "Look at this." Batman took it and opened it. A picture of Croc's cell hatch opened, and a control panel.

"No sign of Croc, then?" Batman asked, and Gordon shook his head.

"He wasn't locked in when he was taken back to the cell. But that was about an hour before he even escaped. Why didn't he escape until later?"

"Maybe he was waiting for the right time." Batman said, looking to a picture of a crushed watch. "You said the armory was locked."

"Yes, like it should have been, but the password was changed. The guards didn't even have a chance. Cash is lucky to be alive, but...he's missing a hand..." Gordon said, and pointed to a small paper with a word scribbled on it.

"Red Riding Hood?" Batman asked.

"Yeah. That was the password."

"That sounds familiar..." Batman looked to the blood sample in his hand, and handed the folder back to Gordon. "This was obviously an escape plan, but specifically for who is the question."

"Have any ideas?"

"One. I'll contact you when I have the blood results."

"Alright. I hope you get it done s-" Gordon looked to see Batman was gone, and he sighed.

Once he was inside the Batmobile, Batman looked over the blood sample, as if he could figure it out just by staring at it. His jaw set as the image of a little girl with a rocket launcher crossed his mind. She was dead.

"No..." he muttered. "Her body wasn't found..._dammit._.." he set the sample down and set his coordinates to the Cave. Part of him hoped that this person was who he believed it to be...

The rest of him was terrified at the possibility...

...

**Author's Note: YUP! They're outta the asylum! _Yaaaaaay!_ Stay tuned! ;D**


	21. Bethany Celebrates Halloween

It seemed that as soon as she closed her eyes, the alarm went off. The buzzing invaded her mind, tearing her mercilessly from unconsciousness.

"Sunnovabitch..."she said into her pillow, then she eyed the glowing red digits that said five-thirty a.m. and smacked the snooze button before sitting up and stretching. A headache greeted her. No doubt it was one of those wonderful side effects induced by Jonathan's toxin. Sniffing, she walked from her bedroom to the dark hallway, then to the living room. Her tired eyes found Jonathan sleeping on the couch, one arm propped behind his head, and his mask resting on his chest. "Obsessed with that thing..." she said. Chance was laying down behind the couch, obviously watching over the new houseguest, making sure he did no funny business like last time while his human slept.

She walked into the kitchen and started the coffee pot, keeping the light off so it wouldn't shine in the living room and wake him up. Chance walked in behind her and rubbed his muzzle against her leg. She smiled and pet him.

"Mornin' to you to, buddy." she said. When the coffee was ready, she downed two cups and changed into some sweatpants and a plain t-shirt. She stepped outside, and began her usual morning exercise routine, Chance close at her heels.

Once she returned, she walked inside to find Jonathan wasn't laying on the couch anymore. Raising a brow, she walked to the kitchen and flicked the light on. He wasn't there either.

"Jonathan?" she called.

"In here." he called from down the hall.

From her room. She went to her room to see him stuffing her clothes inside one of her duffel bags.

"_What are you doing_?" she asked in surprise and anger at his lack of respect for personal space. He continued packing as he answered.

"Don't even pretend to be angry at this. You did after all break down my bedroom door a while ago." he said, referring to when she'd last visited their old hideout.

"Well, you had my book in there." she said.

"You couldn't have possibly known that for sure."

"But it was there."

"And these are here, and they're being packed away. Go and retrieve anything else you may wish to bring. We can't be here much longer."

"Why?"

"John called five minutes ago. Arkham talked, saying Dr. Landon was working for me. They also managed to get a sample from you, and found you weren't even Jacqueline Landon at all, but Bethany Niles, back from the grave. They should be here in another twenty minutes, so we need to move." Beth didn't need further explanation, and she quickly searched the house for anything that she wouldn;t be able to part with. All that she ended up bringing was her leather armor, and she walked back to her room. She noticed Jonathan had left her street clothes in the closet, and she grabbed some shirts and pants and tossed them into her bag before he could argue.

"I _like _those clothes, thank you." she said, and slung the bag over her shoulder with the other bag of armor before walking to the living room. A beep from outside alerted her, and she froze. "Whozatt?" she asked, and Chance growled at the noise as the beeping came again. Jonathan checked through the curtains.

"It's John, let's go."

"We can't take the van?" Beth asked.

"The cops will be looking for it. Leave it here."

"Will Chance fit in John's car?"

"Shit..."

Beth and Jonathan walked outside and went over to the car. John poked his head out the window and smiled.

"Hey, Rugrat. Need a lift?" he asked. Chance snuck up to him and huffed in his ear, making the thug jump in surprise and his his head on the roof. "Shit! Goddamned wolf thing!" he cursed at Chance, and Beth placed her bags in the trunk. She opened the back seat door and ushered Chance inside before climbing in. It was a tight fit. Jonathan got in the front passenger seat, and Chance's head leaned forward as the wolf sniffed him.

"Beth, I'm considering making this dog into a rug..." Jonathan muttered as he pushed Chance's muzzle away.

"Try it, buster, and I'll show you what fear really feels like..." Beth retorted. Jonathan smirked.

"I'm shaking in my skin.."

"Orange really isn't your color..." Beth said, regarding the asylum uniform.

"Done criticizing me?" he asked.

"Are you?"

"Far from it."

"Ditto." Beth leaned against Chance and swirled a finger in his fur. Once they reached the main road, they turned towards the city.

"Next stop, Narrows." John said. A few minutes into driving, he became tense. "Cops." he said. Beth ducked her head, Jonathan doing the same. She saw red and blue lights flash through the windows as a line of police cars passed them. When they were gone, John gave the okay to sit back up.

"If we were in that van like you suggested, we'd be in cuffs right now." Jonathan said. Beth scowled, and kicked the back of his seat, averting her eyes when he cast her a scolding stare. John gave a crooked smile.

"Jus' like old times..."

**(...THREE MONTHS LATER...October 29th...)**

"Alright, recruits!" Micheal shouted to the line of men in the warehouse. All small time thugs, either with warrants for their arrests or nothing better to do with their minuscule lives. "The boss will be in here shortly with an amount of fear toxin for you all to sample. If you can't handle it, leave!" he said. Some of them fidgeted in their spots. One turned right around and left the building, unknowing of the man outside waiting to take anyone who wanted to leave out. Couldn't have some coward giving away their area of work, after all. One man raised his hand, and Michael nodded at him to speak.

"Why we gotta use this stuff, anyhow?" he asked.

"Because, if you are goin' to handle a product like the boss', you need to know what it can do. You need to be prepared for it if, God forbid, somethin' goes wrong and you're exposed to it while on the job. Don't worry; it won't kill ya."

"Awright, I get it."

"Good. Anymore questions?"

"Yeah." said one guy at the end. "Is it true 'bout Red?" he asked.

"Is what true?" Michael asked, his eyes darkening. He didn't like many of the rumors people had been spreading about the girl.

"Is it true that chick came back from the dead? I heard Scarecrow shot her, and she died. Now she's back, an' even workin' for him. It's _creepy_, ya know?"

"Maybe that's why he hired her." another man said. "I hear the Scarecrow likes the whole 'creepy' persona."

"I heard she's hot."

"Why do all the crazies get the hot chicks?"

"Like who?"

"You seen Harley Quinn?"

"And Poison Ivy?"

"Ain't the plant lady a lesbo, though?"

"Man, what I wouldn't give to see that-"

"Alright, that's enough!" Michael said, before anyone could respond to the last comment. "Let's show a little modesty, here, Jesus. This is a place of business."

"Awright, we gotcha, but is she really some zombie chick?" one asked.

"I'm not entirely up to speed in the information of that subject. In short, I don't know. It's a mystery. Just don't bug her about it."

"She mean?"

"If she wants to be, yes, pretty damn angry." Michael said.

"Bet she's got that fear factor thing going like Scarecrow does. Why else would she team up with him?"

"I heard she killed her whole family 'cause she was bored."

"_Fuckin' nuts_."

"Hey!" Michael yelled. "Let's play the quiet game, since you guys can't stop talkin', huh?" the men shut up. John walked in from the back entrance and over to Michael.

"They'll be here soon. They're arguin' again." he said.

"What's it about this time?"

"She wants to get the dog some armor."

"And?"

"He said no."

"Of course."

"_Of all the insufferable things you could bother me with now!_" came a voice from the back entrance. The door banged open, and in walked Scarecrow, sporting his mask and tattered outfit as he stomped toward the new arrivals. They stood up straight, alert, before he reached them.

"Hold on! My shoe's untied! We're not done arguing about this!" A girls voice called from the entrance. The men's eyes glanced repeatedly over to the entrance as they waited for her to enter. Was she truly a zombie? Was she disgusting looking, with skin hanging off and her eyes missing? Or was she like a vampire, with pale skin and beautiful inhuman features? No one really knew. When she was spotted with Scarecrow on the street, a red hood was always pulled over her hair, and a burlap handkerchief always covered her face from below the eyes, which where lined with coal. No one saw her face. When she finally stepped in, their pulses collectively raised greatly in anticipation.

And they were instantly dumbstruck when they saw a teenage girl make herself known, an annoyed expression on her face.

"_Seriously_?" one guy asked under his breath. It was what they were all thinking, as they looked her over. Just a girl, wearing a punk-rock t-shirt and red skinny jeans with matching converse. The tips of her black hair was dyed dark red, and it was up in a ponytail. A skull bracelet was wrapped around her wrist. Some of the men snorted in ease at her. She was just some kid. Surely they weren't expected to take orders from this brat?

"Listen, 'Crow," she said. "I'm not going to let him go out in the field if he doesn't have some sort of protection! Cops don't care about killing animals." The men snickered. She was really whining about some pet?

"Probably a chihuahua..." one man muttered, and the men gave a murmur of low chuckles. Beth shot them a look, but decided to ignore it for now. Scarecrow turned back to her.

"That thing doesn't need armor-"

"If he's going out with us, he will." Beth said. "He's not going if he isn't prepared-"

"That decision isn't up to you." Scarecrow said. She crossed her arms.

"Like hell it is..." she said. "No armor, no attack dog. End of discussion." The men raised their brows at her boldness. They never saw Joker take that kind of smack from Quinn, and here was Scarecrow, doing nothing about this kid's temper tantrum.

"Who's wearin' the pants in this organization?" one man asked, and the others chuckled again. Beth heard his clearly, and turned to the one who said it. It didn't even seem like she moved, but she did, and in less than three seconds, she had the recruit on the floor, his arm behind his back and a gun pressed to his temple. The others backed up in clear surprise.

"Are you questioning my boss' authority, scum?" she asked with a sick sweetness. He shook his head as best he could, and she pushed the gun harder against his head. "You better not be, because it really depends on him whether or not I pull the trigger right now..."

"Let him stand." Scarecrow said tiredly.

"Alright..." Beth took the gun away and stood, backing away as the recruit stood back up shakily. Scarecrow removed his mask and smiled at him as he put on a pair of rectangular glasses.

"Congratulations. You will be the first to sample the toxin." he said. Before he could say anything, Beth sprayed toxin in the recruit's face from a small perfume bottle. He fell to the floor, shaking and saying nonsense. Beth shook the bottle at the others.

"Who's next?"

...

**(...October 31st...)**

"Alright, you all know your jobs, right?" Michael asked the group of men sitting before him. They were all in the back of a police transport vehicle, dressed in costumes, most wearing masks. The ones who'd been working for a good while for Scarecrow nodded readily to Michael. The few rookies shifted uncomfortably on the metal benches.

"We got this." A thug in a pumpkin mask said.

"Good." Michael said. "And make sure you keep those crow pins on the right side of your jackets or whatever you're wearing. We need to be able to identify each other in that bigass crowd." The men looked to the gold crow pins fastened to their outfits, and nodded. It was a good strategy to keep them from losing each other in the mass of partiers. And with it being a pin, the bat wouldn't be able to target them all from afar.

"What's Scarecrow and Red gonna be wearin' to keep themselves from bein' conspicuous?" a rookie asked.

"It's Halloween. Lots of people dress up as scarecrows and fairy tale people." Michael said with a knowing smirk.

...

At nine p.m., a large crowd of people, hundreds, gathered in Gotham Central Square for the twenty-third annual Halloween Festival. All participated in the festivities, wearing costumes, receiving and passing out candy, dancing, mingling, the works. On the stage in the center of the square was a gathering of people getting ready for a costume contest. Many of the people in the crowd surprisingly wore copies of the uniforms the infamous Rogues of Gotham wore. Copycat Harley's trapesed through the gathering, speaking in badly faked Jersey accents, while Mad Hatters of all sizes misquoted Lewis Carroll's words. Jokers took up most of the costumes, each trying to replicate his unique maniacal laugh, all failing miserably. Some dressed as Scarecrow, waggling their fingers at people and sneaking up behind friends and going 'boo' to scare them. A few of the Scarecrow's were accompanied by a Red Riding Hood, holding hands as they walked and greeted others that dressed like they had.

Jonathan regarded the copiers with a curled lip of disgust as he maneuvered through the crowds.

"Dressing as the very people they consider monsters, villains, terrorists. Even attempting to act as we do. Hypocritical insects..." he muttered.

"Calm down, 'Crow. I can feel the malice and I'm not even near you." someone said into his ear through an earpiece. Beth.

"I hate this holiday..." he replied. He did. Very much so. Just another day to give people reasons to put yet another mask over their true selves, not even bothering to learn the traditions of the holiday. They simply wore cheap costumes and acted like fools for treats. Yes, since its creation, Halloween has fallen quite far. "I despise it..."

"Jeez, lighten up." Beth said. "Besides, _someone_ had to dress like us tonight. _We_ obviously didn't." she said, her tone a bit disgruntled. Jonathan looked down at his costume. An officer's uniform with bullet holes riddling the jacket. Fake blood was spattered on it. He adjusted the black mask that covered his eyes.

"I hate this costume."

"At least you're not in the costume I'm wearing, or do you wanna trade your pants for this frilly ass skirt, huh?"

"Heh, no. I'm quite alright." he said.

"_There's_ that little shred of humor I love." she said.

"Are you in position?" he asked.

"Yeah, just waiting for the boys to make the drop-off for this side."

"Good. Inform me when they arrive."

"Sure thing...Jonathan?"

"Yes?"

"There are kids here."

"Really?" Jonathan asked, watching as three children pushed past him to get to the stage. "I wouldn't have guessed."

"This won't kill them, will it?" she asked. He smirked at her compassion.

"No, this is just a test run to see if it actually works. The dose is quite watered down. There will definitely be screaming, but no minds will be shattered tonight." He heard a small sigh of relief from her. The kindness of that girl, sometimes.

"Alright. Oh, crap, some guy's coming up to me. I'll get back to you when the guys get here." she cut their line, and Jonathan was left to think on his own. He took a small cup of punch from a drinks table and downed it, scanning the crowd of happy faces. His eyes narrowed. He couldn't wait to wipe those ignorant smiles from them.

He couldn't wait to hear them scream.

...

Beth clicked the device in her ear to turn it off when she finished speaking with Jonathan and smiled from behind her mask at the man who walked up to her. He wore a blue prince's costume, a crown resting atop his head. Her smile instantly became fixed when she recognized him.

Charmin.

"Hel-_lo_, pretty lady." he said casually to her. "Missing a slipper?" he asked. Beth instantly regretted having chosen the Cinderella costume over the skimpy cheerleader one. She was at least thankful that she wore a silver masquerade mask that covered the top half of her face. She fidgeted with the knee-length white dress as she pointed to her white slipper shoes.

"As you can see, I'm not, so, _yeah_.." she said. He flashed a dashing smile that would make any air-headed woman swoon. It made her sick.

"Well then, if you have shoes on your feet, maybe we can dance!" he said.

"Oh, no thank you! I'm here with my...with my, _uh_...my _boyfriend_, yeah!" she said. "He's the jealous type, so-"

"Ah, why are all the good ones always taken?" he asked, and threw his hands up in the air in defeat. "Oh, well. See ya, cutie." he said, and left without another word. Beth curled her red lips at him as he went and eyed another pretty woman.

"_Pig._.." she spat, and walked over to a table of candy. She picked up a twix and began to unwrap it. Someone tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around to see John in a bloody doctor's costume.

"We got everything. Let's go." he said. Beth dropped the twix and followed him out of the square to the police vehicle where Scarecrow's men waited for them. There were three large stacks of boxes in the back of the vehicle, and she pointed to them.

"This is all of it?" Beth asked. They nodded.

"Yeah, from this side. We got two more trucks in the ally a few blocks back, chalk full o' the boxes. Where's the pinata?"

"In the back of the Wayne Corp. building. Get the goods there before they start filling it with normal stuff." Beth said, and they set to work while she clicked the gadget in her ear. "Scarecrow."

"Yes?" his voice asked.

"We have it. They're transporting it now."

"Good. Good. Just in time for the costume contest."

"You sure that'll be enough of a distraction?"

"Oh, yes. These idiots will be much too occupied with trying to make either themselves or their brats the winner of this activity."

"You sound like you've been here before."

"I've been planning this for two years, Beth. I made sure to take notes on everything."

"Alright, I trust you."

"I know." he clicked the line dead, and Beth followed the men into the vehicle before it revved to life and led them to the back of Wayne Corp.

...

"We have it." Michael said, walking up to Jonathan. He wore a mime costume.

"You look ridiculous." Jonathan said.

"It was all there was that fit me."

"It's here then?"

"Yes, they're ready to start spikin' the drinks and food now."

"Good. Now, in case some don't eat the candy, we at least know for certain many will be drinking and sampling the other foods." Jonathan said, and checked his watch. The costume contest would start shortly. He smiled.

Good.

...

"Alright, everyone! Gather 'round, gather 'round! It's time for the costume contest!" The mayor, a rather large man with no neck, said to the crowd of people from the stage. Jonathan watched as the crowd, much like sheep, drew themselves towards the stage, and he felt like he would be sick. Everyone's eyes were on the mayor as he complimented everyone on their unique costumes (Jonathan snorted at this, earning a _'shhh'_ from a woman dressed as Poison Ivy), and began giving a small speech on the wonders of this grand city. Jonathan turned to Michael.

"Do it." he muttered. Michael nodded and picked up a radio from his hip.

"You can begin." he said. Jonathan saw various men and women walk from the crowd to the tables, all in caterer' s uniforms and wearing a gold crow pin on their white jackets. They seemed to be straightening up the platters and refilling the bowls with fresh punch. Little did anyone know, they were actually spiking everything with fear toxin. It was a white powder, tasteless, and they sprinkled specified amounts over everything, even the candy bowls. Unlike Jonathan's usual supply, this type was to be ingested or exposed to the skin in order to work, and the estimated time he had until the effects would begin was thirty minutes. Thirty minutes. He could wait that long. It would be worth it.

...

Two shippers fell to the ground, unconscious. Beth stepped over them to the gigantic pinata that hung from the crane that it would be brought to the square with. It was shaped like a pumpkin, with a toothy frown and triangle eyes angled to make it look horrified. She smiled.

"Fits the occasion." she said, and turned to the men. "Let's fill 'er up, boys. Don't wanna keep the people of Gotham waiting." the thugs set to work, bringing a ladder to the pinata and making a line for them to pass the boxes. Beth stood at the top of the ladder and flipped open the paper mache top. She took the first box and poured the wrapped candy into it. She looked inside after tossing the box away. The bottom was barely covered.

This would take a while...

...

"You sure that she can handle a big job like that? It probably would've been best if she did this instead." Michael said to Jonathan at the plaza as the mayor introduced the next costume contestant.

"I would have, but she demanded she take the other job. Who am I to argue if she wants to work harder?" he said. "Besides, it's too late now to change minds, anyway."

"Hope all's going well over there." Michael said, looking towards Wayne Corp.

"Well, we haven't heard large explosions or screaming yet, so it should be going alright." Jonathan said, and he looked again to his watch. "I need to get changed. Stay here until I get back." he then left, tapping his jacket where his mask was hidden. "Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock. Keep to the clock, keep to the clock..." he caught himself muttering the rhymes and covered his mouth. He was trying to get a handle on that. For a while, the compulsion seemed to disappear, but it had been growing again lately, starting without him even realizing. He shook his head as he walked back to the vehicle he was brought in. Madness certainly was unpredictable.

...

"Ah, much better." Beth smoothed out the red hood over her head and a smile formed under the burlap handkerchief that covered her nose and mouth, leaving her outlined eyes showing. The hood connected to a red suede trenchcoat that reached just above her knees. Under that, she wore a white blouse and thinner set of leather armor that covered her abdomen and allowed her to move more at ease than her old armor did. Fingerless gloves covered her hands, and she had on black skinny jeans that were covered from the mid calf down by dark brown leather combat boots. She was adjusting her gloves as she opened the back door the police van to allow the others to pile in.

Their work with the pumpkin pinata was finished. They hid the knocked out workers in a nearby dumpster, and the crane would now be operated by one of Scarecrow's crew. She flung the Cinderella costume out the vehicle before slamming the door shut.

"Good riddance, Cindy.."

...

Once they were back at the square, Beth quickly stood herself next to a group of Red Riding Hood girls to keep herself hidden while the other men walked casually through the crowd. She clicked the gadget in her ear on.

"Jonathan."

"Mm-hmm."

"We're back in the square."

"You did well, I trust."

"Yeah, how did it go at your end?"

"Well. Everything is in order. Now this infernal competition just needs to end..." he said.

"Where are you?" Beth looked around from one scarecrow to the next. None of them were him.

"In one of the police transport vehicles, getting dressed."

"O-oh, then you're-"

"Currently without many items of clothing on, yes." he said simply. Beth felt her face go bright red.

"I'll leave you alone then." she said.

"Why? It's not like you're here." he said.

"But you're nake-"

"And?"

"...you creep me out..."

"Good. Where do I find you when I've finished dressing?"

"Um, I'm in a big group of Riding Hood fangirls."

"That shouldn't be too hard to spot. I'll speak to you then." he said, and cut the line. Beth shook her head and focused all her attention on the stage as the mayor read out the votes.

"And here's the votes, folks!" he said, brandishing a piece of paper. He unfolded it and read. "And the male winner of tonight is...Joseph Thompson's Scarecrow!" he said, chuckling nervously at the end as a fake Scarecrow stepped forward, wearing a tattered trench coat and a dingy burlap mask. He wore a preacher's hat, and a cane was in his hand. He shook the mayor's hand and accepted the plastic trophy.

"As for the female winner...Maria Jackson's Little Red Riding Hood!" he shouted, and a young woman in a skimpy Red Riding Hood costume stepped forward, winking to the fake Scarecrow before taking her trophy. "Give it up for these two, ladies and gentlemen!" the mayor yelled, and the crowd erupted into cheers. Beth rolled her eyes at how they could become so excited over something like this.

"Kiss!" On of the fake Red's shouted, and the other Red's began to chant it, followed by others in the crowd. Beth's eyes widened as they shot back to the winners. Fake Scarecrow moved his mask up to uncover his mouth, and Fake Red stood on her tiptoes.

They kissed.

The crowd cheered.

Cheers faded to laughter.

A mockery. A mockery of the crime world. A mockery of her and Jonathan, specifically. These people knew absolutely nothing about them, and they had the gall to make fun of what they didn't understand.

She couldn't believe it.

"Are they even together, Scarecrow and Red?" one man asked, and Beth went to shout 'no', but another man spoke up before she could.

"Yeah, of course. Crazies attract, I guess, haha!"

Beth's hands were in fists.

"Of all the insufferable, disgusting, low, pathetic-"

"You seem annoyed." someone said behind, her. Jonathan.

"Just a little." she muttered, pointing to the stage, where the couple was still kissing.

"Terrible." Jonathan said, and Beth shook her head.

"I know, it's absolutely-"

"I'd never wear that outfit; too much church symbolism." he said, and Beth paused a moment before whipping around and punching him in the arm. He didn't even budge, and just looked down at her from behind his rectangular glasses in mild amusement.

"You _jerk_!" she hissed, and righted herself when people glanced over at them.

"What, do you like his costume?" he asked, and looked back to the stage. The winners had parted, and were walking away. "I like _her _costume. It's very form-fitting." he said, eyeing the fake Red. Beth felt like she was going to roundhouse kick him in the face.

"It's skimpy, and degrading."

"Forgive me for being a _man_, Miss Niles." he said. Beth huffed.

"I was talking about them making out up there. It was stupid that everyone expected it to happen."

"They think what they want. Besides, I don't see anything wrong with that assumption." he said. She stared at his reserved face for a moment. Her hands were suddenly clammy. She shook her head vigorously and crossed her arms.

"Well, I think we should just toss out the toxin and blow this place to Hell." she muttered.

"A rocket launcher doesn't solve _everything_..." he said, sighing.

"I was thinking more along the lines of atom bomb."

"That'd reduce the entire city to rubble."

"_Good.._."

"So_ morbid_, Bethany. Surely that display didn't effect you _so _badly, and if it did, pray-tell me why exactly?" he said, a smile forming on his face.

"Watch it, Scarecrow, before I set you up in a field and leave you to be bird-feed..." she said. He was about to respond, when the mayor went back up to the microphone.

"Okay! That was certainly crazy! Now, for the best part of the night, this year's pinata!" he shouted. Beth and Jonathan snapped to attention, surveying the pinata as it was carried in by the crane to hover over the stage. There was a rope hanging from the bottom, and the mayor brought forth a young woman with fire-red hair. She shyly waved to the crowd. "Here we have commissioner Gordon's daughter, miss Barbara Gordon! She has been nominated by Gotham University to do the honors this year and pull the rope!" he said. The crowd gave a cheer as Barbara walked to the pumpkin and pulled the rope. The bottom fell back, and candy spilled out. The people clapped, and children ran up the stage to collect. The crowd then went back to the other festivities, and Jonathan and Beth watched as many raided the tables.

"Thirty minutes..." Jonathan said.

"Thirty minutes." Beth repeated.

...

The first scream came from a young child, and he clutched his distressed mother's leg as the screams dragged on. She cried for help, but none knew what was happening. A man startled the crowd as he too began to shout in terror. Then another, then six more. Soon, most of the crowd was running and shouting.

Jonathan and Beth watched it all from the edge, keeping well away from the panicked people.

"Forty-five minutes." Jonathan said.

"Close enough." Beth replied. "Let's go." He nodded, and they both walked casually up to the stage as he put on his mask. Jonathan kicked the mayor's shaking body away and he took the microphone in his hand. He cleared his throat.

"Ehem, I see that some of you are still standing. Congratulations on not eating anything." he said, and those who weren't effected by the toxin looked up in terror at him and Beth. "Now, I'm sure you all wonder just what the hell is going on. Well, you lucky lot have just participated in a blind taste test. See, I've created a new toxin recently, and thought that this event would be perfect to test it at. I'm happy to say that the results are more than satisfactory. Now, some of you are going to go missing for a few days, so we may collect data on the effects and things. Don't worry, your stay with us will be temporary, then we'll send you on your way. Happy belated Halloween, everyone." he said, and dropped the microphone to walk away.

He didn't notice Barbara Gordon come up behind him with a chair.

Lucky for him, she didn't notice Bethany come up behind her with a vile of toxin.

Beth sprayed it in her face, and she fell to the floor, trying to keep her screams from escaping her throat.

"That's why you work for me, Bethany." Jonathan said, looking at Barbara. "Too bad she didn't use the powder. I'd love to speak with her..." he said with distaste, and they both walked off the stage. Beth saw a flash of red and green in the crowd, and she cursed.

"They're here." she said.

"Of course they are. Why wouldn't they be?" Jonathan sad with a sigh.

"Run?"

"Yes, we'll split up. If we're together, it'll be easy for them to take us. Keep your earpiece on so we may communicate." he said, and walked off to the left of the crowd. Beth sighed and walked to the right, maneuvering through everyone, her eyes sharp.

"See anything?" she asked into the earpiece.

"No, but there are a lot of Batmans here..." he said. "He may be pretending to be one of them."

"Look out for Robin." she said when she saw another flash of red and green. "I think he's trailing me."

"The sidekick going after the sidekick. How predictable."

"Jerk." Beth saw him coming for her from the corner of her eye, and she ducked as he flew over her head and into a fake Mad Hatter. "Here he is..." she said.

"Careful." Jonathan said.

"You just watch your back until I'm done with him..." Beth said, and dodged when Robin raced up and punched at her. "You're getting better. Finally. Maybe I'll have some competition in a few more fights."

"Shut it, Red. You're going to Arkham _tonight._" he said.

"Holy cheeseballs, Batman, I'm _so scared_.." she said sarcastically, and he rushed her again. She stepped to the side and stuck out her foot. He tripped, and fell to the ground. She grabbed his black hair and sashed his head into the concrete. Blood ran from his nose as he tried to stand. She took the toxin and sprayed him. He cried out, and fell to the ground again.

"Too high..._too high._.." he muttered, and she laughed.

"Boy Wonder's afraid of hights. Wait 'till I tell Jonathan-"

A gunshot interrupted her, and she was nearly knocked down by the terrified people who scrambled away from the source of the noise. She saw Jonathan aiming his gun at Batman, who narrowly dodged every time Jonathan fired. She ran forward, keeping well out of Jonathan's range. She threw the entire bottle of toxin at Batman's feet, and it shattered, sending vapors up to his face. He coughed, and backed away. She grabbed Jonathan and ran for the police vehicle. He took the driver's seat, and she the passengers. The vehicle revved to life, and they sped forward and out of sight.

"That went well." Jonathan said after a few minutes of driving.

"Yeah. I should contact Michael and John to make sure they got the hostages." she said.

"Yeah, about that..." said a low voice from behind them.

"_Dammit._.." Jonathan muttered as Batman's fist flew forward and punched him in the jaw. The vehicle swerved dangerously, and they ran into the wall f a dilapidated building. The airbags deployed, and Beth grunted when hers smashed into her face.

"You two are going in, _now._.." Batman said, and they were both in cuffs before they could even move.

"Well..." Jonathan said as they were removed from their seat and set on the curb. "It seems we'll be going on vacation for a while, Miss Niles."

"Oh, goody." Beth said, and rest her chin on her hands. "I haven't been to Arkham since I broke you out. I wonder how they'll treat me..."

"Horribly, I suspect." Jonathan said. "You are, after all, the reason why four doctors died at the hands of Killer Croc."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." she said thoughtfully, and shrugged. "Oh well."

"Where's the cure, Crane?" Batman asked gruffly. Jonathan shook his head.

"You see, this was a test run. I haven't created an antidote to it yet. By the way, how are you holding up, Batman? That was quite a bit of toxin my dear assistant hit you with."

"Where are the hostages?" Batman asked, changing subject.

"Don't worry about them. Once my men find out I've been taken in, they'll release them, no harm done. That's a rule, you s-" Batman picked him up by the collar.

"Where. Are . They?" he asked slowly. Jonathan cocked his head to the side.

"Not saying a thing, Batman." he said, and Batman dropped him to the ground.

"You're going away for a long time..." he said.

"You always say that..." Jonathan replied. "It's getting kind of boring, really." He lay his back down on the concrete and closed his eyes. "Tell me when the police get here. I'm tired." Beth leaned over and took his glasses off his face.

"Do you have any idea how many times you've broken you glasses from falling asleep with them?" she asked as she folded them and put them in her pocket.

"Thank you, Miss Niles." he said.

"What's the food like at Arkham?" she asked.

"Atrocious. It slowly kills anyone's appetite to any food."

"Gross."

"You don't know the half of it."

Batman watched as they spoke. They had just reduced hundreds to a screaming mess, kidnapped multiple people, and crashed into a wall. And now they were making small talk as if nothing had happened. He shook his head sadly when he saw Beth smile warmly at Jonathan, noting the hint of affection they both shared for each other. He had hoped to be able to help her, but he saw that was becoming a very slim possibility. She'd grown too attached to Crane and the life he lived. She was in too deep.

He couldn't help her.

...

**Author's Note: _Bwuuuh_! I just wrote all that...so long...well, to me it was. I had to write it, haha. Thanks for the reviews! Stay tuned for the next one! But for now, I'm tired. Lemme sleep. I must sleep. (ZZZZ...) Nighty-night! (VwV) **


	22. Bethany Argues With Arkham

"Hello, Joan!" Bethany said to Dr. Leland brightly as she and Jonathan were escorted into Arkham Asylum by Commissioner Gordon and an entire team of officers. Dr. Leland shook her head sadly at Beth.

"Hello, Bethany." she said, walking up to them with two orderlies. The orderlies took Beth and Jonathan, and the one holding Jonathan gripped his arm powerfully. Jonathan gave a small grunt of discomfort, and Beth shot her foot at the orderly, hitting him in the stomach and sending him to the ground.

"Don't you touch my boss like that!" she spat as her orderly seized both her arms and held her back. Jonathan tsked with a small smile.

"I do apologize for my assistant. She's a tad bit overprotective of me." he said to the orderly on the floor, who was trying to catch air.

"Sick..." Gordon said from behind them. "Twisting a girl's mind like that..."

"I didn't do the_ twisting_, Jim." Jonathan said to him without turning to look at him. "All I did was show her a shred of kindness when no one else did. If you want someone to blame, point your finger to her dead parents-"

"Don't try to justify your actions, Scarecrow."

"I'm_ not,_ I'm just explaining. It's_ your _problem whether or not you take my words the wrong way. How's your _daughter,_ by the way?" he asked with a grin.

"She's fine. Luckily, Batman was able to provide an antidote. You can stop gloating."

"And the other _hundreds of people_?" Jonathan asked. Gordon remained silent, and Jonathan laughed. "Not too good _there_, is it?"

"Shut it, 'Crow." The orderly holding Beth said.

"Rude..." Beth muttered to him.

"Take them to their cells, orderlies." Dr. Leland said as the other orderly finally stood. Beth watched him as he took hold of Jonathan again. This time he seemed much more gentle. Good.

"Let's go." the orderly holding Beth said, and nudged her along with Jonathan.

"The cots comfortable here?" she asked her boss.

"Not very much, unless you like a firm mattress." he said.

"Cool, I've been sleeping on the floor for months. A raggedy mattress is just what I need."

"The oddness of you continues to surprise me." he said.

"Quiet, you two." one of the orderlies said, and they did as they were told. Once they reached the Rogue Gallery, they were greeted by the few rogues who'd been captured since their last big escape. Riddler was there, as well as Poison Ivy and Harley. The Ventriloquist gave Beth a warm smile and waved pleasantly as she passed, and she returned the smile.

"Inmate 1406, Jonathan Crane." one orderly said when they stopped at Jonathan's cell. He was placed inside behind the large glass wall, and locked in.

"See ya, boss man." Beth said as she lost sight of him when they continued to walk. Two more cells down, they stopped, and Beth peered into the large cell that would be hers. One cot, and a metal bedside table that was bolted to the ground.

"Inmate 2013, Bethany Niles." The orderly holding her said, and pushed her inside when the other orderly opened the glass door. She fell to the ground, doing a summersault to right herself. She held up her cuffed hands.

"What about my cuffs?" she asked one of them. He spat on the ground.

"After what you allowed happen to my friend a couple months ago, you're lucky that's all we're doing." he said, and slammed the door closed. She scrunched her face.

"All I did was let Croc loose to kill whoever he wanted! It's your buddy's problem if he couldn't run fast enough!" she said. The orderly punched the door angrily, and his companion grabbed his arm to lead him away. She watched them leave, and sighed before setting to work on the cuffs. They were flimsy, and relatively simple to slip her hands through. "That's done..." she muttered, and tossed the cuffs to the side before sitting on the cot. She rest her head on her hands and closed her eyes.

"Miss Niles?"

"Yeah." she said, not bothering to open her eyes. Leland's voice was very simple to pick out from a crowd. It took a moment for Leland to respond.

"Why did you do it?"

"Do what? I've done a lot of things since coming back here..."

"Why did you do any of it?"

"'Cause I work for that guy down there." Beth said, and opened her eyes and pointed towards the direction of his cell. "Always have. Granted, my becoming a doctor here was just to see how he was doing, but, the rest was just work. I'm still amazed that you guys didn't find me out."

"Why do you work for Jonathan Crane?"

"That's a long story that I don't feel like telling right now. It's really late. Let's save it for our session." Beth said, and layed down on the cot.

"But I won't be covering your sessions, Miss Niles-"

"Call me Beth or Bethany, and who's my stand-in head doctor? Please don't let it be that fop Charmin. I'll sooner kill myself-"

"It's Dr. Arkham, Miss N-uh, Bethany." Beth stared at the ceiling.

"I change my mind. Charmin doesn't sound so bad."

"Dr. Arkham is a great psychiatrist. He can help you-"

"I don't need help. Not from _him_ anyway..."

"I hope you'll soon see differently." Leland said, and walked away, leaving Bethany slightly annoyed. What they saw in that idiot, she'd never know. 'Hope she'd see differently?' What a joke.

"Don't hold your breath, Joan..."

...

Beth sat in her cell for two days, not attending any sessions and her food being brought to her instead of them allowing her to eat in the lunchroom. The only times she was allowed out was when she needed to use the restroom. Sure, her and the others still talked from behind the glass, joking, arguing, idle chatter; but she was really beginning to feel the symptoms of cabin fever when she was finally called out of her cell.

"You have a visitor." the orderly said as he lead her down the hall. Beth was shocked.

"I have a visitor? I don't know anybody though..."

"Well, this chick knows you." he said, and she was brought to a visitor's room, then chained to a chair by her ankles. She leaned forward and rest her arms on the metal table, waiting. When the door opened, she watched the visitor walk in, and she sighed.

"Hello, Sarah." she said, and Sarah nodded hello, sweeping her black bangs from her face. She sat down and waited for the guards to leave them alone in the room. As soon as the dor clicked closed, she scowled at Beth.

"Why is there a three ton black dog in my freaking backyard?" she asked angrily. Beth blinked wondering for a moment what she meant.

"_Oh_! Chance, yeah." she said. "You were the person I said for the guys to take him to if I was ever incarcerated. With me and 'Crow in the asylum, the guys have to do a lot of running around, and Chance would just slow them down, so I had them drop him off at your place!" she said brightly. Sarah's eyes were wide.

"Why do they know where I live?" she asked. "When I woke up this morning, and saw those two thugs-"

"Michael and John."

"_I don't care what they're called_! They scared the shit out of me! I wakeup, go to get coffee, and then there they are with that bigass mut sitting in my living room! They say I gotta look over the mut for you, then leave without another word!"

"Yeah, they probably had stuff to get done, so they couldn't talk much. Sorry about that."

"_That's_ what you're sorry about?!" Sarah asked incredulously, and she sighed heavily. Criminal minds were very different, indeed.

"Chance isn't causing a problem, is he? Is he doing okay?" Beth asked. Sarah looked up at Beth's face. She seemed worried about her canine companion.

"He's fine, but keeps demanding to sleep on my bed." Sarah said, and Beth seemed to relax instantly.

"Good. He's okay. Don't worry, he doesn't eat very much. He's used to having rations, and too much food gives him a belly ache."

"Beth, why did you have them bring Chance to my place?" she asked.

"Because...we pick people up by random usually for the experiments, so I was worried we'd get you one day. I made you my dog-sitter to make a small guarantee that you wouldn't be snatched. If I have a use for you, Scarecrow and the lackeys will keep away from you." she said.

"You did that...to _protect_ me?" Sarah asked. Beth grinned and nodded.

"Yup, but Chance really also does need a place to stay when I'm not around, so it's a win-win situation." she said.

"You're insane..." Sarah said.

"_That's_ why I'm in this fun orange jumpsuit." Beth said, and picked at the jumpsuit she wore. "So, how's clubbing without me?" she asked. Sarah smirked.

"Not as fun. I have no designated driver to take me home now."

"You still seeing Charmin?"

"_Hell_ no." Sarah leaned forward and smiled. "He may be hot, but, uh...he's kind of _small_..." she said. Beth scrunched her eyes.

"Small what?" she asked, and Sarah snorted.

"You are _such_ a virgin..." she said. Beth bit the inside of her cheek, and forced a smile at Sarah's comment.

"Yeah, haha..."

"Time's up, ladies." A guard said, walking in to unchain Beth from the chair. Sarah got up and walked over to Beth when she was standing. The guard protested, but Sarah told him to shut up and she hugged Beth.

"Chance is gonna go nuts when you get back, you know." Beth said. "You smell like me now."

"I can take it."

"See you some other time?"

"Yeah, I'll bring booze. This place is a deadzone!" Sarah joked, and stuck her tongue out at the guard as he tried to get her to leave. Beth smirked as she watched her friend finally go.

"Sounds like a plan."

...

"Bethany Niles..." Arkham said from his large cushioned chair behind his desk. His fingers were laced together, hands on the desk, his large glasses sliding down his nose as he eyed Beth. She cocked her head to the side.

"You gonna say anything other than my name, Jerry?" she asked. He grimaced.

"My name is _Dr. Arkham_, to you..."

"Why does Jonathan get to call you Jerry, and not me? That's not fair. I'm calling you Jerry." she said. Arkham tapped the desk with his index finger.

"I know what you're doing?"

"What am I doing?"

"You're trying to get to me, but that won't work. It'll take a lot more than childish arguments to-"

"You're _boring_ me, Jerry."

"_Dr. Arkham_!" he said loudly, his face red. Beth smirked.

"I win."

"Ugh, let's get on with it. Let's start with were you disappeared to. Where have you been for six years?" he asked.

"Gotham City, of course." she lied. "I've been laying low for a while."

"Six years? I don't think so. Where have you been?"

"Don't remember." she said.

"Insufferable child."

"Idiotic coward." she retorted.

"I knew there was something wrong with you the day you stepped into Arkham under the name Jacquelin Landon." he said.

"And yet you did absolutely nothing while I walked these halls freely." she said.

"No wonder the other crazies opened up to you. You're one of them..."

"If you're trying to insult me, Jerry, you're failing miserably, just like you fail at being an adequate doctor."

"I do my job."

"But not _well_. I mean, in less than three hours, I let Croc out and helped the Rogues escape. Where were you? Cowering in your office like a little worm. I loved when I hit you with that toxin."

"Why are you working for Jonathan Crane?" he asked before she could say anything else.

"Reasons."

"Which are?"

"Not telling."

"We cannot possibly hope to even think that I can help you if you do not cooperate!" he said.

"Even if I did, you wouldn't know what to do with the information. I already have a head doctor, Jerry. I don't need a new one." she said.

"Jonathan Crane gives you mental aid?" he asked.

"Yeah, all the time." she said, shrugging.

"Is that why you work for him?"

"A damn good reason to, but no."

"Are you given money?"

"Yeah, but that's not a reason."

"Why don't you tell me?"

"Because it's fun playing guessing games with you." she said with a grin. Arkham leaned back in his seat, angry. He frowned as he adjusted his glasses.

"Are you and Jonathan Crane _lovers_?" he asked. Beth's grin faded, and he knew he hit something.

"Son of a-no, we're not like that!" she said. It was Arkham's turn to grin.

"So defensive, Miss Niles." he said. "Why?"

"Because everyone makes that assumption."

"It's only natural to think such a thing, really. You don't see many females in the crazy world who work under a man and _not_ be their lover. Take Harleen Quinzel and her relations with the Joker, for example."

"Sorry little example. Me and Jonathan aren't like those two."

"True, the circumstances are different between you and Harleen. But there is one similarity between you two, and that is the most important here."

"And that is?"

"The Joker provided relief to Harleen Quinzel by simply making her laugh when no one else could even make her smile. _He showed compassion_. Very similar to the compassion Crane showed you when you were young. You became attached to him because of that compassion, though the attachment was not so obsessive as Quinzel's. And though I do not know exactly what happened to you, I know that you returned solely, after _six years_, to be with Crane, am I correct?" Beth narrowed her eyes at him. She didn't like how he was acting. His entire demeanor had changed, his back upright, his eyes piercing. Even his glasses didn't slip anymore.

"I told you I was in Gotham this entire-"

"By the way Jonathan acted before your return, an idiot could tell that he believed you to be _dead_. You were absent for six years, Bethany. When you returned, you were not the little girl you once were. You are a young woman, with the same desires and wants as any other young adult. When you finally reunited with with Crane, that childlike adoration you once had must have slowly grown into something more, like affection. Still being young, you may not even fully understand it."

"What are you trying to say, Jerry?" she muttered.

"_Guess._.." he said. Beth curled her lip. She knew what he was talking about. How could he believe that?

"Stupid doctor..."

"Do _you_ even know why you stay with Crane and work for him? Or are you also playing this guessing game?" he asked.

"He gives me psychiatric help, that's all." she said.

"You said that wasn't a reason, and there is really no other reason to stay besides what I am suggesting."

"This session is over."

"You're in denial, Niles. Why do you become so angry when others suggest you have a deeper relationship with Crane?"

"Because it isn't true! How many times do I have to-"

"Yes, but does the fact that it isn't true also make you angry? Does that anger confuse you? Do you even _know_ what you feel?"

"Shut up!" Beth pulled at the cuffs keeping her hands to the chair.

"I rest my case..." he said, gesturing to her rage. Beth huffed and stopped struggling.

"I want to go back to my cell." she said.

"I don't think so, Bethany. You see," he pointed to the clock, "we still have thirty-nine minutes left to chat."

"Fuck off, or I'll let Croc out again."

"Horrifying your threat may be, I don't think you'll be able to do anything of the sort soon..."

"Why not?" Beth asked, thankful to change the subject. "You put an extra lock on his door?"

"No, we haven't even caught him yet, but that isn't the case. You remember Cash, the head of security?"

"Yeah, heard his hand got chomped. Doesn't Joker call him Hook now?"

"The main point is, he'll be retiring from Arkham Asylum in a few weeks. He'll be transferred to a prison, where his disability won't be so taxing on his job."

"I'll send him a card." she muttered.

"That means, we'll be receiving a new head of security soon. I met him a few days ago, and I must say I am not disappointed so far..."

"What, is he super cute?" she asked with a smirk. He didn't reply, and only smirked back. That didn't sit well with her. "Who is this guy?" she asked.

"His name is Lyle Bolton, and I guess you'll just have to wait and see why I'm so happy to have him head the security here..." Beth furrowed her brow at Arkham's following smile.

Just who the hell was Lyle Bolton?

...

After their session was over, Beth was expecting to be brought back to her cell. She was surprised when the orderly brought her to the rec room. Dr. Leland waited just outside the door to greet her.

"Hello, Bethany." she said with a small smile.

"I get privileges? What's the occasion, Joan?" Beth asked.

"Dr. Arkham gave the order to allow you privileges. Apparently your session went well. I'm happy about that." Leland said. Beth frowned.

"I think he was just happy I gave him a laugh..." she muttered.

"You'll see soon that we're here to help you, Bethany, not laugh at your situation. The others are inside. You'll be called for lunch in thirty minutes." she opened the door to the rec room and removed Beth's cuffs before leaving her in their. Beth didn't een get to take a step when she was nearly knocked over by Harley, who gave her a bone-crushing hug.

"OOO, I'm so happy to see ya, kiddo!" she squealed in delight. "I thought you was dead! But here you are! Don't you ever go away again!"

"Harley...I can't feel my toes..." Beth managed, and Harley let her go, giving a sheepish chuckle as she did. Beth took a deep breath, and smoothed out her uniform. "Thank you." she said.

"No problem, cutie! Hey, everybody! Little Red is here!" Harley called to the others.

"So we heard." Riddler said from the couch, his eyes fixed on the television as he watched a gameshow. Ivy was looking through some 'Home and Garden' magazines at the bookshelf, and Jonathan was seated on the couch, reading a book. He looked up and smirked at Bethany before closing the book and standing. He walked over to her. While he did, she thought of what Arkham said to her, and she sighed, suddenly feeling tired.

"You look worn out." he said when he reached her. As a response, she leaned forward, her forehead resting against his chest, and her arms hanging limply.

"Yeah, you could say that." she said. His hand rest on the top of her head.

"Are you sick?"

"You could say that."

"I'm not accustomed to you not giving me straight-up answers." he said sternly.

"I think I've been using my brain too much." she said.

"And why is that?"

"I keep making myself confused."

"That's no good."

"Would you hate me if I didn't use my head for a few seconds?" she asked.

"A few seconds couldn't hur-_mmph!" _Jonathan's words were stopped by her lips meeting his, and he went very still as Harley gave a shriek of joy from the couch. When Beth pulled back, her face was flushed.

"Go ahead,fire me." she said, crossing her arms and expecting the worst. Jonathan adjusted his glasses and looked down at his assistant.

"Fire you?" he asked, and smirked. "If you keep up with that, I'll have to give you a raise..." he said. Riddler snorted at that, and Beth socked Jonathan in the arm.

"Jerk..." she said, her face going bright red.

"I'm rather bad at giving compliments, aren't I?" he asked.

"Some practice wouldn't hurt." she muttered.

"Anyway," he said, and rest his arm over her shoulders as he walked them to the couch. "What brought you to act in such a way?" he asked.

"Arkham somehow got into my head and made me all sorts of confused." she said. "He may suck as a therapist, but his manipulative skills can be pretty good when he tries." se said. They sat down, and she leaned against him.

"I may just have to actually thank Jerry next time I see him..." Jonathan said, reopening his book with one hand and resting the other on her arm.

"I wouldn't do that just yet. He really creeped me out before the session ended." she said.

"I'll kill him."

"It wasn't anything weird, he just got all strange when he talked about the new head of security." she said. "Some guy named Lyle Bolton."

"I wouldn't worry too much. Even if this man were to be strict, there are rules that every employee here must follow. He can't do much." he said. Beth rest her head on his shoulder as he began to read.

"I hope so..."

...

**Author's Note: Squee moment here, haha. Ya, they're together now, get over yourselves you cheeky devils. As for Lyle Bolton, if you've watched the 'Lock-Up' episode in 'Batman the Animated Series', you know who he is. If you haven't seen that episode, it's online, look it up. Or don't, whatever, lol. **

**Hope you guys enjoyed! This one isn't so long as the previous, so nya! ;P Thanks for the awesome reviews! I appreciate them 134 percent! Stay tuned for next! ;D**


	23. Bethany Meets Bolton

Over the next week, Jonathan and Bethany allowed their relationship to be known throughout the asylum. He'd lead her around the with his hand pressed against the small of her back whenever they were allowed to go outside on the grounds, supervised of course. They'd have hushed conversations while in the rec room, often interrupted by Harley's outbursts of happiness that "Dr. Crane finally got hisself a puddin' of his own." Crane, in a sick sense of humor, often held Beth a little closer whenever Dr. Charmin would pass them by at lunch, earning a death glare from the playboy before he would storm off in defeat.

"You know..." Beth said one day at lunch after that particular event occurred, "Sarah said she didn't keep seeing him because he was _small_, but, he's almost as tall as you. I don't get it..." This earned a collective snort from the other rogues, and she scrunched her brow. "_What's so funny_?" she asked. Jonathan draped his arm over her shoulders and smiled at her.

"It's nothing. I'd rather you not be versed in that level of vulgarity anyway." he said, and kissed her forehead.

"_Vulgar_? What about that is vulgar?"

"I'll tell ya later, Little Red." Harley giggled, on the verge of tears. "Ooh, I can't believe Barry has a tiny soldier, hoo-hoo!"

"I'm gonna have _fun _with that info..." Joker said cruelly. He was brought in two nights ago, along with Hatter, who was staring into his paper cup of water, not really paying attention to anyone. They'd been apprehended in Gotham Central Park, sadly for Hatter because of their bumping into each other while Batman was chasing Joker.

"Ack, this gruel..." Riddler muttered, poking his food with his plastic spork. Beth looked down at her own food. Compared to what she had to eat in the mountains, which was nearly nothing, this wasn't so bad. Hell, at least she got three meals a day.

"It's not so bad. At least they feed us." she said, taking a bite. She grimaced, and set down her spork. "Just eat it quickly before it becomes cold..."

"Indeed..." Riddler muttered.

"Who's the stiff?" Ivy said, pointing to the entrance of the cafeteria. They looked to see Arkham standing next to a tall, built man with black, buzzcut hair. He was smiling as he scanned the room, but it was a violent smile, one of malice.

"Lyle Bolton, new head of security." Riddler said after glancing at him. "Saw him today while I was being taken to my morning session. He was saying something to Arkham about a Wayne Corp. Grant."

"A grant? To do what?" Jonathan asked. Riddler sighed, as if Jonathan had just asked him what two plus two was.

"_Apparently, _he's good with technology, and Wayne's given him money to up the security around here. He'll probably just be placing more bolts and passwords on everything. Nothing we won't be able to work through eventually." he said. They all looked at Bolton again to see he was pointing directly at them as he spoke to Arkham. They raised their brows. What was he saying?

"He's kinda _creepy_..." Harley said. Jonathan tsked.

"Appearances can be deceiving, Miss Quinn. He's just another guard." he said. Beth wanted to believe Jonathan, but as she stared at Bolton, his eyes fell on hers. She suddenly felt trapped by his gaze, locked. He smirked, and his cold stare wandered away, to her relief. She noticed she wasn't breathing, and she took in air. She pinched the brim of her nose and closed her eyes. "Are you alright?" Jonathan asked quietly, making her jump in surprise. He frowned at that small sign of fear, but she nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just...headache..." she said. Unhappy with her answer, he leaned close to her ear.

"We can talk about this later." he said. She looked up at him and nodded again.

"Okay." she went back to eating her meal silently, ignoring the bad taste, and wondering just how worse off she would be if Jonathan wasn't there to help her at these times. As she took another bite of her food, she thought of an adequate answer.

She'd be dead.

...

"So, what's wrong?" he asked when they were taken to the grounds. Beth sat roughly down on the grass and mumbled something Jonathan couldn't quite hear. He knelt down next to her as she lay down, her eyes closed. "I didn't catch that."

"He scared me a little, that's all." she muttered. She felt ashamed that she admitted this to him, the Scarecrow.

"_Scared _you..." Jonathan said, and she frowned before nodding slowly.

"Uh-huh..." she suddenly felt like a little kid who was caught with their hand in the cookie jar. It sucked.

"Bethany, you've said multiple times that you weren't afraid of me, the _Scarecrow_, and you're expressing fear to a meddlesome security guard without even meeting him first." he said in disbelief. She cracked open an eye to see his face. His expression was a mixture of anger, jealousy, and even worry.

"It's complicated..." she mumbled.

"I have all day, so please explain." he said. She huffed, and sat up, then began picking at the grass.

"You probably wouldn't understand..."

"I'll try my best." he said.

"Okay...well...when I looked at him, he looked back at me for a second." she said.

"And that scared you?"

"No, not that specifically, but...he looked...mean." she was trying to explain as best she could, and she gripped the grass, angry that she couldn't do better.

"He looked mean...Do I never look mean?" he asked.

"You always look mean..."

"What's the difference?" Jonathan asked.

"When I look at you, I automatically think 'safe', okay?" she said, and ripped the grass out of the earth, feeling embarrassed. Even with him, she wasn't used to being so emotional."Even when you become strange, and really angry, I don't ever think to consider you particularly _scary._ It just doesn't happen. Do you see what I mean, doc?" she asked. He considered her words for a moment, and nodded.

"I understand perfectly." he said.

"Good."

"Bethany."

"Yeah?"

"What do you think of when you see Bolton?" he asked. Beth paused at the question. What _did _she think when she looked at him? She really didn't know, it was just an automatic response. She just wanted to curl away when she saw him, and hide in a closet.

Or a basement.

Her jaw clenched as a man's cruel face appeared in her mind. She looked up at Jonathan, biting her lip.

"I think of my stepfather. He looked at me like that..."she said quietly. Jonathan went still, and she went on. "It's just, whenever I saw that expression, I automatically thought, 'holy hell, I'm in trouble again'. That expression wasn't ever followed by anything good, and, when I see it on other people, I guess I just feel afraid out of some sick habit. Haven't you ever seen someone, and just felt _scared_?" she asked. Jonathan bit his tongue, and slowly shook his head.

"_No_." he said simply.

"_Oh..._" she said, and looked down at the ground to the grass she shredded. Jonathan sighed, realizing that wasn't the best answer he could have given. He looked back at her, sensing the small amount of depression she was going through. He cursed.

"I guess I'm going to need to do something." he said. Beth looked back at him.

"Wha-" before she could finish, Jonathan had her lying on her back, hovering over her, his brown eyes glinting at her wide grey ones.

"No one dares make _my_ girlfriend afraid, especially when _I_ lack the ability. I'll just have to speak with that man and ask him to kindly keep his undeserving eyes off your person." he said with a crooked smile. Beth's shocked expression faded, and she smiled.

"That's the most romantic thing anyone's ever said to me." she said dramatically.

"It better be the only romantic quip you've ever heard. I'm an obsessive, jealous man, Dr. Landon. Haven't you learned that?" he asked.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Dr. Crane." she replied. He lowered himself and kissed her.

"I still can't believe you actually fooled me into believing you had a doctorate." he said.

"What can I say, I'm a natural."

"A natural at trickery."

"All that matters is you believed me."

"Don't ever lie to me again, Bethany. That's an order." he said.

"And if I go against them?"

"There will be dire consequences." he said, half seriously. "You have no reason to lie to me, so I don't expect it."

"Calm down, I get it." Beth said, and reached up and took off his glasses.

"Promise me you won't lie to me, Bethany." he said quietly as she folded them and placed them in his front jacket pocket. She looked up at him, noting the intense seriousness in his face.

"I promise."

...

The next week, the rogues were brought to the rec room, as usual. Two Face was with them now, having been caught by G.C.P.D. three days before. Jonathan sat down at the couch with anew book he was to begin, and Beth somehow ended up arguing with Harley about their canines.

"Why can't my babies see your baby, huh? They'd love 'im!" Harley said.

"They'd probably look like a snack to him, Harley! Chance is a wolf-"

"An' my babies are hyenas. They can take care of themselves!"

"I just don't want them hurting each other, Harley. I don't think a playdate is a good idea for them. It's a disaster waiting to happen!"

"Aww, you're too chicken-hearted!" Harley said. The door opened, and the rogues watched Dr. Arkham walk in, looking rather smug.

"Please, everyone be seated." he said. Harley plopped right down on the ground, and Beth went and sat next to Jonathan, casting him a questioning look, but frowned when she saw he hadn't even lifted his eyes from the book he was reading. It was amazing how caught up in those things he could get.

"Psst, Jonathan." she nudged him, and he blinked once before looking to her.

"Yes, what is it?" he asked, and she pointed to Arkham. He hooded his eyes.

"What does he want now?" he muttered, and snapped the book shut. He didn't like being interrupted when he read, especially when the person interrupting was a fool like Arkham.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I've come here." Arkham said.

"To pick up your check and leave for another week?" Joker said. The others snickered, and Arkham frowned.

"No, Mr. Napier. Now if you'll please quit with the jokes-"

"_Quit with the jokes_?! Haven't you _seen_ my record?" Joker said. "Oh,_ wait,_ that's what real doctors do!" he said, and laughed. Harley rolled on the floor, giggling.

"Quiet, clown." Two-Face muttered from his chair. "The faster he gets done yapping, the faster he leaves..."

"Good point, Harv. Proceed, Dr. Arkham." Joker said, and Arkham cleared his throat.

"As some of you may know, we're acquiring a new head of security. Tomorrow he will begin his work in the asylum. His name is-"

"Lyle Bolton, yadda yadda _yadda_..." Riddler said. He was playing chess with Hatter, and he waved his hand dismissively at Arkham. "Can't you go away? Your annoying voice is making me lose my concentration." he said.

"Such _rudeness_, coming from you lot..." a low rasp of a voice said from outside. In stepped Lyle Bolton, his muscular arms clasped behind his broad back, and his eyes narrowed in controlled anger. "What makes you think you can speak this way to your superiors?" he asked when he was standing next to Arkham. The Rogues were silent for a moment, then they burst out laughing.

"Superiors?! Oh, this guy's funny, Mistah J!" Harley giggled.

"You think-haha- you think that these _birdbrained nitwits_ in white coats are superior to us?! To _me_?!" Riddler asked, knocking over some of the chess pieces on the board. Hatter frowned at the disarray, and righted the pieces again before taking his queen and knocking all of Riddler's pieces over.

"Off with your head, off with your head..." he said, as each piece fell. Jonathan only stared hard at Bolton, Bethany gripping the cuff of his sleeve and keeping her eyes averted.

"What a riot..." Ivy said silkily to Bolton, a subtle smile of indifference on her face. "You speak as if these lowlifes are actually better than us..."

"Oh, but they are." Bolton said, and the Rogues' laughter died down. "You see, it's _you _who are the _lowlifes._.." he said. "It's _you_ who are the _joke_. So go ahead, keep laughing at yourselves and your sad delusions. You won't have much time to laugh when I start work tomorrow, bright. And. _Early.._."

Everyone was quiet. Sure, they'd been insulted before, but this guy was serious. No one talked this way to Gotham's Notorious this way, even when they were behind bars. Did he not understand who they were? What they were capable of? Was he crazier than they were? He smiled a cruel, toothy grin at them as they began to show their confusion, and they narrowed their eyes to villainous slits.

Just who the fuck did this asshole think he was?

"Hey." Harley said, standing up. "You can't talk to us like that!" Beth couldn't believe her ears. Where did Harley's high-pitched Jersey accent go? She sounded..._normal_. She listened as Harley went on."Do you realize that it is against doctor/security rules and regulations to treat an asylum patient in such a manner? It's as if you didn't even read the handbook! Calling us lowlifes and jokes is only going to ensure that you get a one-way ticket out of this asylum in a matter of hours! So, I suggest you drop the bad-guard routine and actually do your job correctly before I make a personal request to whoever had you hired to have you out the door before you even begin your duties! _Do you understand_?!" she crossed her arms when she reached Bolton, and stared defiantly up at him. He stared back, and for long moments, they battled silently for dominance.

"Get him, Harley-baby..." Joker muttered, but Harley seemed to be failing. Her fingers began to twitch, and her lip quivered. She finally blinked, and he smirked before looking back to the others.

"See, this is but one of the many problems you all have, and that I look forward to resolving." He grabbed one of Harley's pigtails and flung her back, making her fall on the floor.

"Ow!" she said, her Jersey accent returning. "Jerk!" Joker jumped up from his seat and helped her up. He looked over to Arkham.

"Hey, Jerry! You saw that! Get him out of here!" he shouted. Arkham only smiled.

"Saw what, Mr. Napier?" he asked. Jonathan stood from his seat, his hands clenched into fists.

"You can't do that, Arkham..." he hissed.

"Do what, _Mr._ Crane?" Arkham asked. Jonathan pointed to Bolton.

"You're going to turn a blind eye to that?!" he shouted. Arkham walked to the door.

"_Mr._ Crane, I must say that I have no idea what you're talking about, but if I did, I would have to ask," he looked over to them all, "how does your own medicine taste?"

Jonathan ran forward towards Arkham, enraged. This man had the gall to allow this to plague the asylum. When Jonathan was head of this place, even _he_ felt _some_ compassion towards his patients. He did his job correctly, and didn't need some muscle-head to keep the patients in line. This used to be a respectable place, thenArkham_ fucked it all up_. The thought of this new blemish added to Arkham Asylum's already faded reputation pushed him over the edge.

He'd kill Arkham this time.

He saw Arkham's eyes widen in fear as he got closer, and a sick smile began to form on Jonathan's face. Yes, he'd enjoy wringing the worm's neck.

Something caught him by the collar, and lifted him in the air. Bolton. The large man dragged Jonathan around to face him, Bolton's hand moving to wrap around Jonathan's neck. He added pressure, and Jonathan coughed as he stared at Bolton. His squared face held nothing but malice and cruel glee. Jonathan felt something stir in his thoughts. Flashes of a tall youth with wavy brown hair smiling cruelly and pitching stones at him invaded Jonathan's mind, followed by the shadow of an old, bloated woman, raving about his sinful existence. Rat's blood. Hungry crows with sharp beaks. His cries for mercy.

Not the crows...

Please, _God_, not those damning crows...

Bolton's eyes narrowed in pleasure when Jonathan began to shake and grab at the hand blocking the air from his lungs. He heard Beth shout something. He couldn't quite hear through the fog that clouded his hearing and vision. He barely noticed Bolton drop him to the floor. How does someone breath, again? He couldn't remember.

"_Jonathan_!" Beth rolled him over on his back and she smacked him. He blinked, and sucked in air, coughing. He sat up slowly and felt a pounding in his head. He looked at his hands. They still shook, and his heartbeat was quick. He couldn't believe it. "Jonathan, are you alright?" Beth asked. He nodded once, still staring at his hands.

"You scum need to learn respect." Bolton said, grabbing the horrified attention from everyone in the room. "And don't worry, I'm a good teacher. I just hope you're fast learners..." he said. There were no smart remarks. No jokes. No one answered. He smiled. "Good."

"I'll kill you..." Beth said to him, her hand gripping Jonathan's arm. She couldn't believe how much he was shaking. She glared at Bolton, death in her eyes. He only laughed at her remark.

"You're welcome to try, bitch." he said, and left with Arkham, slamming the door shut behind him. Beth turned back to Jonathan.

"Don't they have cameras?" Ventriloquist asked meekly from behind the couch. "He can't get away with it if they tape it..."

"If Arkham's really on board with this, then he probably found a stupid reason to have the cameras shut off." Riddler muttered. Joker was patting a whimpering Harley on the head and he whistled in grave realization.

"Ya know," he said, looking around, "call me _crazy_, but I don't think this place is the resort they said it was in the brochure..."

"Can it, clown." Ivy said. "We need to think on this Bolton business. What's he planning for us, and how are we going to deal with him?" The Rogues began discussing the topic while Beth watched Jonathan. They were still on the floor, and she looked over to see his glasses a foot away, crushed.

"_Great_, now you're going t get headaches without these..." she said quietly, picking them up. He didn't respond. "Jonathan, are you alright?" she asked. No response. His legs were crossed, and his hands lay limp in his lap, his head down. She sighed, and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. "It's okay..." she said.

"No..." he mumbled. "No...it's _not_..." she didn't respond, and he knew she knew he was right. Nothing about this was okay. Arkham Asylum was going to shambles before their eyes, this time not because of them, but because of the very people hired to keep it in check. What was worse, the very head of the asylum, Dr. Arkham, was allowing it.

And Dr. Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow, was _afraid_.

...

**Author's Note: Yuuup, almost didn't post a chapter tonight, but I was all like, screw homework! It's boring! So, I did this, and NOW Imma do my homework, haha. **

**Thanks all for your reviews! They fuel me! NOM NOM! (OwO) Stay tuned for next! ;D**


	24. Bethany Is Bribed, Beaten, And Belittled

The next morning, after being brought to the cafeteria for their morning meals, the rogues sat even more huddled together, their eyes darting from one orderly to the next as they spoke quietly to one another. Beth and Jonathan remained silent, keeping away from the group, staring at their meals. They both glanced at each other, each looking as if they would say something, but keeping quiet. They didn't know what to say, really. Too much was revealed the day before, in the rec room. Jonathan had never shown fear in front of Beth before, and she had always quipped that she'd eventually see it. She'd always joked that she'd point and say she knew he had a weakness when she finally saw him tremble. But now that it had really happened, there were no giggles of accomplishment escaping her lips. Only silence as the image of his shaking hands and widened brown eyes swept over her mind like a thick blanket of icy realization. It had truly gotten to a point to where she believed in the back of her mind that he was afraid of nothing, that only he could scare himself. But, she'd now seen that fear within him was very real, and could be brought about, with the right push. Lyle Bolton gave such a push, and now Bethany knew that the Scarecrow could indeed become very afraid because of someone else.

And that fact alone frightened her.

She looked up at Jonathan shyly. He was glaring at the table, his hands clenched. The spork he had been using was broken in two, laying pathetically next to his untouched food. He was muttering something, and she leaned forward.

"What?" she asked. His attention snapped to her, and he stopped mumbling.

"Simply speaking a string of profanities, my dear. Nothing important." he said stiffly, and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, his brow furrowing. They had yet to give him a new pair of glasses, and his headaches were beginning to become worse. "Damned idiots need to give me some replacements..."

"Hey, you two!" Ivy hissed at them, and Beth looked over at her. Ivy motioned for them to join the group, and she nudged Jonathan to follow her as she scooted over to them. He reluctantly did as she asked, keeping his eyes closed.

"Yes, what is it?" she asked.

"Who's your doctor, toots?" Harley asked.

"Arkham. Why?"

"Ouch, that sucks." Harley said. "We're all planning on telling our docs how ol' Bolt-head's treated us." Beth's brows rose. Of course. All they had to do was tell someone other than Arkham, and they'd be set. Surely not all the doctors here were complete idiots or assholes. There had to be someone.

"Who has Leland?" Beth asked quickly.

"I do. She's our top priority, as well as Barry." Riddler said.

"Charmin would help us?"

"C'mon," Joker said. "Pretty boy loves us!"

"Uh-huh..."

"So, we have a plan. Now we just need to execute it." Two-Face said. Harley grinned.

"We'll have that asshole outta here before lunchtime!" she said.

"No...we won't..." Jonathan said slowly. The Rogues all turned to him.

"Why's that, Jon?" Ivy asked angrily. He sneered as he kept his blurred vision to the table.

"This...this reminds me of school, in a sense. We can tattle to the _teacher_ all we want, but they'll only give a small scolding to the _bully, _and he'll only give us a worse time for even thinking about telling on him. No matter what we say, in the end, nothing will happen, and we will only suffer." he said.

"Experience?" Riddler asked.

"Observation." Jonathan answered curtly.

"So, you're saying we can't do anything without only hurting ourselves in the end?" Beth asked him. He shrugged.

"It's a great possibility. The question is; will you risk that possibility?"

"Well," Beth poked her meal with her food. "I think if we can risk our lives by eating this food three times a day, then I guess we can risk a little more." she said. Jonathan shrugged again.

"Suit yourself, we'll just have to be extremely careful..." he said.

"Don't worry, Leland will help us out." Beth said, and took a bite from her food, hoping to God she was right.

...

"The woman is an idiot. I should kill her with my bare hands!"

"Whoah! Edward!" Ivy said to him as he stormed into the rec room, furious, his face as red as his hair. "What happened?" she asked.

"That numskull took Bolton's side! She said that we must be seeing it all wrong! Saying we just don't understand his methods! 'He may be strict,'" He said, mimicking a woman's voice,"' but he's only acting strict for your own benefit as well as the others'. You'll see, Mr. Nigma.' What a load of complete and utter bullshit!" he kicked a chair, and it toppled to the ground. "She's blinded by naivety!"

"What did I say..." Jonathan mumbled as he turned the page of his book. He had been given a new pair of glasses, and his brown eyes looked through them to the words on the page. They were slightly large, and he needed to adjust them every few minutes, which angered him greatly after a while. Harley moped from her spot on the floor.

"My doc said the same thing. They all think his addition is great to the asylum, and he's so nice to them, blah blah blah. He's got them eating out of his hands, the bastard..."

"I think it's time to escape..." Hatter muttered from the chess table. They all nodded in agreement.

"Hey, Bethy-poo." Harley said to Beth, who was perusing the bookshelf. "Ya think you can come up with some master plan to get us outta here again?" she asked. Beth picked up a book with a green binding.

"Working on it..." she said, opening the cover to read the summary. "I haven't seen much of a change in security here since Bolton's arrival. I can probably work some mechanical magic. It won't be easy. Jonathan is my first priority on the escape list, though. Nothing personal to you all." she said. Harley nodded vigorously, while the others gave a dull grunt of understanding.

"Oh, yeah, I understand. If I could only get one person out, I'd choose my fella Mistah J. over anybody." she said.

"Good girl, Harley." Joker said from his seat affectionately, and she swooned. Beth rolled her eyes and went to sit next to Jonathan with her book.

"Bethany Niles." an orderly said from the door before she could sit down, and she turned to see him.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Dr. Arkham wants to speak with you."

"But my session isn't until four o'clo-"

"_Now_, Niles." the orderly commanded, and Beth glowered at him before dropping the book on the couch.

"Fine, shithead. Lead the way." she said. Jonathan grabbed her arm, and she looked at him. His eyes were deadly.

"If anything happens..."

"I'll kick his ass, don't worry." she said, beginning to smile, but his glare made her falter.

"No, if anything happens, you'll kill the one who caused it. Be it Arkham or even Leland." he said slowly. "_That is an order_." Beth paused, and nodded at him.

"Yes, sir."

...

"Hello, Niles." Arkham said when she was escorted inside his office. The orderly sat her down in the chair and cuffed her to the arms of it. She tapped the worn leather, and looked at Arkham. He had such a smug gleam in his beady eyes.

"Hi, Jerry. What's on the agenda today?" she asked. "Will you threaten me, or just have Bolton choke the life out of me? Or better yet-"

"Shut it, Niles." Arkham said, and she bit her tongue fiercely, drawing blood. "Surely you know that this is being done for your own benefit-"

"Yeah, I heard the same story came from Leland. You really have that woman brainwashed."

"All the same-"

"Do you really think this is for our benefit?" Beth asked. He nodded stiffly.

"You've all asserted a kind of dominance in my asylum for years, and It's time that I put a stop to it. Out there, you're master criminals. In here, you're all a bunch of whining, bullying children, with no respect or discipline. Bolton is here to teach you both. Don't care if his methods break the rules. You're murderous madmen; I think you can take a few welts without anyone caring."

"You ever heard of fighting fire with fire, Jerry?" Beth asked. "Keep this up, and the entire asylum will burn."

"A risk I'm willing to take in order to finally teach you all a lesson. Tough love, Niles. That's what this most certainly is."

"This is idiocy."

"This is necessary."

"If you think that, then you're in more need of a straight jacket than Joker!"

"My, aren't you the rude one..." Beth froze at the new voice as the door to the office opened. Bolton stepped in, sneering at her as he closed the door behind him.

"What is he doing here?" she hissed when she found her voice. Bolton walked over to Arkham's desk and leaned against it, crossing his arms. The patch on his uniform read 'Chief of Security'.

"Merely getting to know the patients here." He replied. Beth's eyes snapped to him.

"I wasn't speaking to you." she said curtly, and turned back to Arkham. "Besides, he has no business being in our session, Jerry." she said. "Get him out!"

"Ah, you see," Arkham said. "I've decided to skip our session today. After you, each and every one of the Rogues will be escorted individually to my office, so that Mr. Bolton and myself can speak with them. This is more of a meeting and discussion of new protocol."

"Really?" Beth asked. "Cash never was this much trouble-"

"And now he's missing hand because of it." Bolton said. "I won't make the same mistake." Beth narrowed her eyes at him. What was his weakness?

"What are you afraid of, Bolton?" she asked. Bolton raised a brow, and Arkham shook his head.

"Mr. Bolton, my apologies. She works for the Scarecrow. It's a habit of theirs to ask of people's fears. You don't need to answer." he said. Bolton's eyes lit up, and he smiled wide.

"You're the broad who said she'd kill me." he said.

"Yes, I am." Beth said.

"Why aren't I dead yet?" he asked.

"Don't worry, I'll get to it." she said. "I'm just waiting for the perfect opportunity."

"You got a lot of attitude." he said. "I don't think I like that."

"What will you do about it, scumbag?" Beth asked. Her heart rate skyrocketed when he shot forward and gripped the arms of her chair, his face inches from hers. He was angry.

"I'm not gonna do anything." he said, and she relaxed. "Not to you, anyway." She paused her breathing.

"What?" she asked. He smiled, and stepped back from her chair.

"Dr. Arkham here says you're a little more than that freak's assistant. I find that information to be very interesting." he said. Beth's eyes widened.

"Are you blackmailing me?" she asked.

"Blackmail is such a strong word. I prefer bribery. If you behave, then nothing happens to the mad doctor with a fear fetish."

"Sounds like blackmail to me..." she said, and he shrugged.

"Take it however you want. Either way, you need to be a good little patient." he said. Beth hooded her eyes.

"You need to be locked in a padded cell." she said. His face went red, and his eyes raged. He slammed his fist onto the desk, and Beth jumped.

"You deserve to be beaten! You're scum, and you're lucky I don't hang you by your toes!" he shouted.

"Calm down, Mr. Bolton." Arkham said, and Bolton did, panting heavily as he glared at Beth.

"You think you can get away with what you want and then be treated like a king in this place. I'm going to put a stop to that thought process." he said, and stormed out of the office, slamming the door shut behind him. Beth looked over to Arkham.

"He's got a temper, doesn't he?" she asked.

"Only when he deals with you lot." he said. Beth nodded at this, a small plan forming in her mind. She now knew his weakness.

He couldn't control his anger.

...

When lunchtime came around, the Rogues had all met with Arkham, hearing the same message he had given Beth. If they wanted to have a comfortable time in Arkham, they had to behave. They all grumbled as they sat roughly down at the table. None touched their food; they'd lost their appetites.

"Stupid jerk Arkham smiled the whole time Bolton yelled at me." Harley muttered.

"What'd he say?" Joker asked, and Beth saw Harley pause for a minute as she looked at him.

"Uh.." Harley said. "He was just sayin' that he'd pull my hair again if I was all bad in the future. That's all." she smiled and chuckled nervously. Beth figured that Bolton had said the same thing to her about Joker. Be good, and he doesn't get beaten to a pulp. Joker huffed at that.

"Only I can do that..." he muttered. Harley patted him on the head. Beth looked over to see Jonathan, but he wasn't there. She turned her head, and saw he was sitting over by Hatter, three people down. That was odd, especially since he was always raving about how detestable it was to even be ear Hatter. Ivy noticed Beth looking confusedly over to him, and she coughed.

"Jon, why aren't you sitting next to your little wild flower?" she asked. Jonathan rolled his eyes and looked anywhere but to where Beth was.

"I don't need to be next to her at all times of the day. It's rather suffocating..." he said. Beth felt as if she were just smacked, and Harley whistled.

"Trouble in the Scary family..." she mumbled to Joker, who nodded in interest. Beth shook her head, and looked out over the cafeteria. Bolton was there, and her eyes narrowed. Leland was there as well, speaking with him. Charmin was at the other side of the cafeteria, and orderlies were everywhere. Good. She had an audience.

"How can you say that about her?" Ivy asked, bringing Beth's attention back to the group. Ivy seemed agitated. Jonathan only shrugged.

"It's the truth." he said. Beth gripped her spork, and eyed her peas. Taking a scoop, she bent the spork back, aimed at Jonathan, then let the peas fly. One or two hit Hatter, but Jonathan was hit with the bulk. One stuck to his glasses as his furious gaze whipped to Beth. She smirked.

"Sorry you feel that way, boss." she said. Harley and Joker chortled, and Ivy smirked. Hatter blinked, and looked to Jonathan.

"I say, March." he said. "You should learn to eat properly." Joker laughed harder, and flicked a pea at Harley. She grabbed a fistful of mash and smeared it on his face. Then, Beth watched as a full on food fight broke out. Jonathan jumped away from it all, staring at the chaotic scene as Riddler tossed his entire tray at Hatter. In minutes, the orderlies were around the rogues, trying to calm them down. It didn't work, until Bolton walked up to them, making them freeze in their spots. His face was beet read.

"Which one of you lunatics caused this?" he growled. Beth stepped in front of them.

"I did, big boy. Wutcha gonna do about it?" she asked. She heard a small gasp come from Ivy. She watched as Bolton's face go a deeper shade, and his hands trembled. "What a dumbass. Can't even speak." Beth went on. Bolton's hands wrapped around her upper arms, and he snarled. This was it. The doctors and the orderlies would all see just exactly what this guy's methods were.

Bolton saw the look of accomplishment on her face, and just before he ripped her head off, he calmed. He let go of her arms, and crossed his own across his chest. Her expression of anger and confusion following confirmed his suspicions, and he smiled.

"Now, now, Niles. Just what are you doing such a silly thing for?" he asked kindly, and Beth blanched. "I'm going to have to have a talk with you later, it seems." he said suggestively. Beth felt cold as she remembered what he had said about Jonathan taking the fall for her actions. He noted her worry, and pointed to the others. "You all will return to your cells, now. I think they're ready, anyway." he said. The orderlies grabbed hold of the Rogues, and pulled them along.

"Whaddya mean, they're ready?!" Harley asked him.

"You'll see." Bolton said, grabbing Beth's collar and dragging her as he followed them out the door.

After they were cleaned up and taken to the Gallery, Bolton had the orderlies leave, so he could place them in their cells alone. His hand was still gripping Beth's collar, and, when the door closed behind the orderlies, he surprised her by hoisting her into the air. Her shirt went against her throat, blocked the air, and she coughed as her feet flailed around, trying to find something to step on. The others gasped.

"Let her down!" Harley yelled, and Bolton did. Beth coughed painfully, rubbing her throat. When she had plenty of air, she spun around and kicked him as hard as she could in the side. He didn't budge. Her eyes widened. Anyone always went flying when she did that.

"My turn..." he said, and she barely dodged his fist as it flew at her. He sucker punched her in the stomach, and she fell to the ground, the air escaping her once again. He grabbed her hair and made her stand. "I didn't think you were telling the truth, Crane. I thought you'd jump at me." he said, confusing Beth.

"I'm not a fan of lying." she heard Jonathan say. He sounded detached. "Like I said, she's only a pawn in my chess game. And, it seems she needs more practice if she can't even beat up a security guard. Rather disappointing..." Beth's hands shook as they clenched into fists.

"Let go of me..." she muttered. Bolton dropped her to the floor.

"This is what happens when you disobey orders, folks." he said, gesturing to her. He took a small remote from his belt, and pushed something. All of the doors to the Rogue's cells opened. He grabbed Beth's collar again and dragged her to her cell. He tossed her inside, and slammed the door shut.

Beth sat up, and looked around. There were chains attached to her bed. Why? She stood shakily, stumbled, and touched the glass wall to keep her balance. A hot shock of electricity ran through her hand to her entire body and sent her back by two feet. She fell to the floor again, her hand tingling. The Rogues watched this happen, and gasped.

"What the hell was that?" Ivy asked.

"New security." Bolton said. "Don't want your grubby hands dirtying the glass. Now," he turned to them. "All of you, get to your cells before you end up like that unfortunate piece of trash in there!" he said, pointing to Beth. They walked quickly to their cells, and the doors clicked shut behind them.

"Why are there chains on my bed?" Riddler asked.

"Good question." Bolton said. "In order to keep you from sneaking around at night, I've gone to the liberty of rigging your beds with chains, which you will wear every night from now on!" he said.

"That's crazy!" Joker shouted.

"Crazy, no. Effective, yes!" Bolton said. "Have fun, maggots." he left the gallery then, leaving them to sit at their beds, a rather dark mood hanging over them all. Beth stood, and grunted slightly at the pain in her stomach.

"Ow..." she muttered.

"You okay, Little Red?" Harley called from her cell. Beth slumped onto her bed.

"Yeah. Just...sore..."

"What was with starting the food fight?" Riddler asked.

"Wanted him to get angry in front of the orderlies, but I think he figured out my plan, so he waited until we got here...the smart bastard."

"So, what are we going to do now?" Ivy asked, poking the cold chains on her bed. "Things just got a lot harder."

"We gotta go to the rec room at some point. We'll scan the room and figure out a route there. I'm sure he didn't rig that place, right?" Harley asked.

"Don't count on that..." a voice from an intercom said. Bolton. "You won't be using the rec room any longer. You're here to be corrected, not to watch television." the voice went dead, and the information sunk into the rogues' skulls. They'd live in their cells, with the iron chains and the electrified glass walls.

"Now we can't even speak without being watched." Two-Face said. "This is sick."

"What'd we do to deserve such treatment?" Joker grumbled, and stretched out on his bed.

"Shut up, clown." Two-Face muttered.

"Beth..." Ivy said from her cell after removing a potted rose from a hidden compartment under a floor tile.

"Yes?" Beth asked.

"My rose says you're sad. Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine, Ivy." Beth lied.

"She'd be a lot better if Dr. Crane wasn't such a jerk." Harley said grudgingly. "You should say sorry, Dr. Crane!"

"I won't apologize for the truth." he said indifferently, and became silent. Beth gritted her teeth, tears in her eyes. She wouldn't allow them to spill. She didn't care.

"Aw, Beth oughta give ya a good what-for!" Harley shouted. Beth heard Jonathan begin to speak. She growled, and grabbed the first thing she could throw, her pillow. She tossed it at the glass wall, and it gave a loud, sickening crackle as the electricity shot through it and made it smoke before it fell to the floor.

Silence.

...

**Author's Note: Took a while to get to,this time, and I apologize! Hope you hate Bolton as much as I hate writing him, that son of a bitch bastard shithead. Hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned, and thanks for the reviews! ;D**


	25. Jonathan Thinks A Lot

Two months passed, and Bethany was growing more and more worn from the new protocol in the asylum. Inmates weren't allowed in the rec room, not even if they were on their top behavior. They couldn't even eat meals together anymore, their food being brought to their cells, in much smaller rations than it used to be. Now, all the food did was give her minimal energy and a bad taste in her mouth. Several attempts to escape had been made by Harley, Joker, and Riddler, but to no avail. Once, Riddler had come back from his session with a black eye, refusing to tell where it had come if any of the others happened to walk by him and ask.

Jonathan continued to keep his distance, only giving her a curt nod when they did happen to pass each other in the halls. She'd eventually figured that he was doing this because of something Bolton said to him. She really didn't know. He was, after all, a master of disguising his emotions, and she couldn't tell what he was really thinking with that constant reserved expression of his. It didn't really matter if he was faking now, anyway. Even if his actions were a ruse, it didn't change the fact that it pained Beth every time she thought of the fact that they hadn't spoken in two months.

One day, Bolton's remote for the cells malfunctioned, causing the cell doors to open and spark with electricity at the same time. The gallery had to be moved to the rec room so they could repair the system. Harley and Ivy didn't seem to be able to stop hugging even after fifteen minutes of them being in there. Riddler and Hatter were quickly making their way through games of chess, and Joker switched the television onto the cartoon channel. Beth saw Arnold Wesker shaking in a corner with Scarface trembling in his hands.

"What happened?" she asked them.

"Nuttin' ta do wit'choo, broad." Scarface said shakily. "K-keep movin'!" Beth shook her head and walked over to the bookshelf to find something to read during her time in here. She bumped into someone as she reached it. Jonathan.

"Oh, hello." she mumbled, and kept her vision on the shelf.

"Hello." he said. He looked over the room. There were two orderlies at the entrance. He relaxed a little, much to Beth's notice.

"What has you so tense?" she asked.

"None of your concern." he answered.

"Sorry for expressing worry on your behalf." she muttered. She reached for a book, and her hand brushed Jonathan's in the process. Apparently he as well had gone for it. They paused, and drew their hands back.

"You may take it, if you so wish."

"No, you saw it first. I'll be fine." she said.

"Take the damned book." he said sharply, and she grabbed it. He smirked, and took another book. "Still taking orders from me, I see." he said, and began to walk away. Beth's eyes narrowed, and she spun around to face him. She threw the book at him, and it hit him upside the head, knocking his glasses to the floor. The rogues stopped what they were doing and watched them intently as Jonathan turned slowly to face Beth once more. They hadn't seen a good fight in a while, and this one would be a doozy. But nothing else happened, sadly for them, and Beth only walked off to a small spot on the floor to stare at her hands in anger. Jonathan sighed, and sat back down in his seat.

He opened his book and stared at the pages, but didn't even notice the words.

...

"Hello, Crane." Charmin said to Jonathan some hours later in their session. Jonathan didn't answer, and Charmin shrugged. "Whatever."

"Yes..._whatever._.."

"Something seems to be on your mind. Want to share?" Charmin asked. Jonathan rolled his eyes.

"No, you idiot. Why would I even want to breathe the same air as you, much less share my thoughts?" he asked. Charmin scowled, and leaned back in his seat.

"Is it Niles?" he asked. Jonathan clenched his jaw, and Charmin smirked. "Yeah, it's Niles. She doesn't seem so sweet on you anymore. Why would that be, I wonder?" he asked. Jonathan tapped the arm of his chair, agitation becoming apparent. "Could it be because you've been a complete ass to her lately?" he asked. "Harley told me all about it. It seemed interesting. One minute, you're all lovey-dovey on her, and the next minute, you're giving the cold shoulder."

"What would it matter to you?" Jonathan asked.

"What's most interesting is this all started the day Bolton had private meetings with all of you. Did he say something to you? Did he threaten Niles?" he asked. Jonathan eyed his psychiatrist. Was he expressing a sign of help? Jonathan would have to answer truthfully if so.

"Yes...he did. Why do you ask?" he asked. Charmin cracked a wide smile.

"Oh, nuthin'. I just needed to figure out whether or not to thank him for screwing up your relationship." he said. Jonathan shook his head as the doctor laughed.

"Why would you care, anyway?" he asked.

"Oh, you were all smug whenever you caught me looking at her, man. Pulling her close, like she was some kind of prize. Well, from what I hear, she's up for grabs again." Charmin said.

"Someone with her taste would never sink so low to your level. She has standards." Jonathan said, but Charmin didn't appear to hear him.

"Is she good?" he asked. Jonathan furrowed his brow.

"She's _good_ at a vast number of things. What are you asking for specifically?" he asked.

"In bed, Crane. A sweet ass like that has to have skills that go with it." Charmin said. Jonathan was disgusted by this openly offensive comment.

"I don't care if we are no longer on good terms; if you speak about Bethany in such a manner again, I'll rip your arms off and beat you to death with them..." he hissed. Charmin watched him for a moment, and his smile became larger.

"Holy shit, you never did any of _that_, did you?" he asked. Jonathan sighed.

"This conversation is over, Barry." he said.

"You poor bastard. Is there something wrong with her?" Charmin asked. Jonathan caught himself thinking to the night he found out who Dr. Landon really was. He remembered her beneath him, and, besides that small round scar over her abdomen, he didn't see a damned thing wrong with her. He even enjoyed her rambunctious attitude on most levels. She was just fine. Perfect.

When Jonathan didn't answer, Charmin shrugged and flipped through his papers.

"So, uh, what'd he say, to make you like you are?" Charmin asked. Jonathan didn't answer him again, only averting his eyes and thinking back on what Bolton had said to him.

_He was set roughly in the chair before Charmin's desk, and cuffed, as usual. He looked dead-eyed at the smirking psychiatrist._

_"You called, Jerry?" he asked. _

_"No, I did." Bolton said stepping inside the office and shutting the door behind him. Jonathan instantly yanked at his cuffs, wanting to get free. He looked down a them. They were new, and much thicker than the usual ones. "My own design. Held together by a powerful magnet. You're not getting out of that unless I shut them down." Bolton said. _

_"What the hell do you want?" Jonathan finally asked when he knew he couldn't get out. _

_"To make a deal..." Bolton said. Jonathan scoffed at this._

_"And what deal would this be?" he asked. _

_"You be a good little patient, and no one gets punished." Bolton said, cracking his knuckles. Jonathan swallowed, flashes of that brown haired boy throwing stones going through his mind. _

_"I'm not afraid of you..." he said evenly. Bolton nodded and waved his hand. _

_"Yeah, yeah, Master of Fear, and all that..." he said. "I know your game. But I don't really care. You're just a nut in a raggedy costume. Besides, it's not you who would be...punished..." _

_"And who would pay for my misdeeds, might I ask?" Jonathan asked. _

_"I've seen you with that Niles girl. Apparently, you're pretty sweet on her. Wouldn't want her pretty little body to be black and blue on your behalf." he said. Jonathan imagined a large number of possible ways to kill the man before him slowly and painfully. He shook his head, forcing himself to keep his anger hidden. Instead, he cocked his head to the side._

_"But, isn't that her job? To become black and blue on my behalf? She is paid to guard me, after all. This would just be another job for her to do, so, why would I really care, if I pay her for it later?" he asked. Did he really just say that? Disgusting. It seemed to be slightly effective, though, as Bolton seemed to show a sliver of disappointment._

_"What's with the obvious affection you've been showing? Explain that." he said. Jonathan forced a cruel smile._

_"What can I say, Mr. Bolton? I may be a master criminal, but, like every other common man in the world, I have...needs." he said. This time, Arkham spoke up._

_"Are you saying you're using Niles for sexual pleasure, with no emotional attachment to her?" he asked. Jonathan pointed at Arkham._

_"Bingo, Jerry. Congratulations, you said something correct." he said, never losing his smile. Arkham only shook his head. _

_"This sounds awfully like the case with Harleen and Joker." he said. _

_"I'll admit, I like to take a leaf from that clown's book once in a long while." Jonathan said, shrugging and leaning back in his seat. _

_"What is Bethany Niles to you, Crane?" Arkham asked. Jonathan remembered what was said the night he'd 'killed' her. _

_"She's just a pawn in my game of chess, free for me to use however I wish. Her purpose is to serve me until I no longer have any use for her." he said. _

_"What will happen when she wears down her usefulness?" Arkham asked. Jonathan appeared to think for a moment. _

_"I think I'll use her for one of my experiments. I can say this; you'll know she's lost her usefulness when she stops showing her face..."_

_"Are you saying you'll kill her?" Arkham asked in surprise. Jonathan tilted his head to the left and right._

_"I did it once. I can do it again." he said simply. He turned to Bolton. "The point here is, if you want to intimidate me, then you'll have to do something better than threaten one of my henchmen." he said. Bolton crossed his arms in thought. _

_"How do I know you're telling the truth?" he asked. _

_"You'll just have to trust me." Jonathan said, shrugging. _

_"How about this? You keep away from her at all times. I don't care if she's just your little slut. I don't want you two conspiring." Bolton said._

_"Or else what?" Jonathan asked. _

_"I'm a pacifist, Crane." Bolton said, and began to pace. "But patients are known for stumbling down those long, metal stairs, often breaking bones..." Jonathan willed every fiber of his being to keep from shouting a string of threats and dark promises to the hulking man before him. Instead, he smiled. _

_"I've seen that happen a few times when I headed this place. Rather nasty thing. Whatever, I'll accommodate you and keep away from her, purely for the sake of keeping her capable for future missions." he said. "But, that won't stop me from misbehaving when I wish."_

_"Doesn't matter, you won't have much opportunity to misbehave once I'm done preparing everything for you freaks."_

_"Do tell..." Jonathan said._

_"It's a surprise. I think you'll find it quite...shocking, hahaha." _

_"One more thing before you leave, Bolton." Jonathan said as Bolton went for the door. _

_"What, maggot?"_

_"What are you afraid of?"_

"Crane!" Charmin's voice brought Jonathan back to reality, and he blinked at the young psychiatrist.

"What is it, fool?" he asked.

"You were creeping me out, just staring off into space like that."

"Good, I haven't lost my edge. Is this session over yet?" he asked.

"We have twenty more minutes..."

"Jesus _Christ._.."Jonathan tilted his head back on the chair and looked up at the ceiling. It had been a long two months. He'd only spoken with Beth once, and she'd thrown a book at him. Dammit... It seemed that all she ever did anymore was throw things at him, be it lunch or reading material. She had a right, of course, because of how he'd been cruelly treating her. But he'd hoped that she'd see past that, and notice that it was all a ruse. It would certainly make everything for him much easier. At least he'd not have to fall victim to her throwing arm. "Foolish child..." he muttered with a smirk.

"What was that?" Charmin asked.

"Mind your own business." Jonathan snapped. Charmin sighed, and closed Jonathan's folder.

"You're obviously not cooperating." he said.

"You've only spoken about Miss Nile's abilities in the bedroom. I don't want to be a part of that. So, I won't speak at all. Why waste my breath on a cretin such as yourself?"

"You think you're still so high powered even with the new arrangement in this place." Charmin said. "Get over yourself, Crane. The Rogues don't run the asylum, anymore."

"Perhaps you are right. It doesn't change the fact that you're still an idiot who also thinks much too highly of himself. As for your desires for Miss Niles; I've heard from the grapevine that, even if you _did_ somehow manage to spend a night with her, you wouldn't make much of an impact..." Jonathan said knowingly. Charmin's face went red.

"I think this session is over." he said.

"Good, good." Jonathan said as the orderlies uncuffed him from his chair and led him outside to the hall. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw Beth being led down the hall as well, and they ended up walking in stride with each other, each silent. He finally glanced down at her, and his eyes narrowed at her red and tearstained face. He looked at the orderly who was escorting her. "What the hell happened?" he hissed at him, making him jump.

"She, uh, she heard a recording of you talking about her with Bolton. She got upset." he said. Beth huffed once at the orderly for speaking, and she again went quiet. Jonathan gritted his teeth. God fucking dammit. Of course Arkham would make her listen to that, the bastard. He looked around, checking for anyone besides the orderlies. When he saw none, he turned to Beth.

"Bethany-"

"_Don't_...don't talk, please..." she said. He could tell that she was straining to kep her voice calm. He reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Bethany, listen to me-"

"Shut up!" she snapped. Jonathan gripped her wrist tighter, anger at her unwillingness beginning to rise.

"Fool child." he muttered. She forced a hollow laugh.

"Insulting me now? At least now you have the balls to do it in front of my face." she muttered. That was it. He'd had it. He lifted his cuffed hands and slammed her against the wall, pressing the link connecting his cuffs against her throat. The orderlies panicked, and he glared at them.

"Do _anything_ but stand there like good boys and I'll snap her neck, understand?" he asked politely. They hesitated, then nodded, keeping their hands in the air. "Good." he turned back to Beth, who's reddened eyes scowled at his. "Now, you're going to listen to me _very carefully_..." he said quietly so the orderlies couldn't hear him. Beth only kept glaring, and he swore to himself that if she didn't stop that he'd end up kissing her right there. Shaking his head, he got back to the subject. "I never took you as a person who believed everything they hear." he whispered.

"You said all of that-"

"And you _believed_ it..." he said. Beth growled at him, sending a small shiver up his spine. God, what was she doing to him?

"You said yourself you weren't a fan of lying." she hissed, bringing back his attention.

"I said I wasn't a fan, but I never said that I wouldn't. You should know that." he said. "Now, you need to stop being so thickheaded and actually see the real situation here. Normally, your stubbornness is charming, but right now is _not_ the time to be stubborn." he wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "Alright?" He stared into her eyes, silently pleading for her to understand. "Please..." he muttered. She finally blinked, and gave a small nod.

"Alright..." she whispered. He let a small smile escape his lips.

"Finally. Now I don't need to duck every time you become angry." he said.

"I wouldn't count on that just yet." she joked quietly. "You did say some hurtful things, after all."

"And I still hate myself for it. It had to be done." he said. Beth let her own smile show. "What?" he asked.

"I kind of feel bad, now..." she said. Jonathan narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"What is it?"

"I only wanted to hear you apologize..." she trailed off, and he leaned closer to her.

"_What_, Bethany..." he asked. Her eyes were suddenly bright as she looked at him.

"I already knew..." she said. Jonathan froze.

"What?"

"I knew for about half an hour." she said. "When I heard you say that you used me for sexual pleasure, I knew it was all a lie. I know you wouldn't ever disclose such information, especially if it was false; It's unprofessional." she said. Jonathan hooded his eyes at her. She'd played him. He pressed his thumb against her throat.

"I should snap your neck right now..." he said lowly.

"But doctor, I wouldn't be of any use to you dead, would I?" she asked. "Besides, I just wanted to make you feel bad for a few minutes. I've been feeling like shit for two months. Didn't think I'd get to do it so soon though. Perfect timing on your part, doc." she said. Jonathan hung his head. This person...

"Woman, you are a handful..." he muttered, and looked back up at her.

"That's rich, coming from you of all people." she said. "What do we do now?"

"Act like I just insulted you, and kick me away. I don't want them knowing we're back on good terms." Jonathan said, gesturing to the orderlies. "They might talk." Beth nodded, and raised her foot. He clenched his stomach, and she kicked him away, a little harder than he had expected, and he stumbled. The orderlies grabbed his arms.

"You sick bastard!" Beth shouted at him. It sounded real, and he almost felt like he'd actually done something wrong. "Stay away from me! Keep him away!" she said to the orderlies, new tears forming in her eyes.

"Oh, Beth. You are such a handful. I should teach you a lesson..." Jonathan said.

"Shut up, Crane." his orderly said when he was subdued. The orderly then hauled him off, leaving the other orderly to tend to a shaking Beth. Jonathan was smirking when he was placed in his cell. He walked over to his bed and lay down, folding his hands under his head as he gazed up at the ceiling. That was taken care of. Now all he had to worry about was Bolton. His smirk disappeared when he remembered Bolton. He'd need to be especially careful not to let Bolton know about him and Beth. Who knew what that brute would do if he had found that he was being played?

"Bully..." Jonathan muttered, and raised a brow. He hadn't used that word in such a manner since highschool. It was true though. He was much like the lads in his highschool who heckled and beat on him for pleasure. Especially _that one_, in particular. That son of a bitch who was now in a wheel chair, because of Jonathan.

He sighed. All this thinking would drive him mad. He wanted to speak with Beth again. It was almost odd, talking to her earlier, because of how long it had been. He was happy that she hadn't changed since two months ago. He remembered her sly face giving him an expression of mischievous glee as she told him she had played him. For a split second he'd felt like he really would kill her, making him apologize like that. But she'd been felt like that for months. He shivered, imagining himself in her position. He was surprised she hadn't killed _him _yet. So, he let the little minx live.

"Bethany Niles..." murmured. She looked terrible in that orange jumpsuit. He much preferred her in red.

Or nothing at all.

He blinked at his sudden thought. Throughout their entire relationship, he'd not thought that way about her in such a risque manner. Why was that? The psychiatrist in him suggested that it was because of the time he'd spent with her when she was a child, that he in some way still saw her as the twelve year old girl he once knew. Hell, she still was a child in some senses. But he'd called her a woman earlier. Something he didn't remember ever doing.

Perhaps she _had _changed in two months. Not literally, but in his mind, she'd changed. He frowned at this. When did that happen? Sifting through his memory, he found when he'd talked to Charmin that day. Was that it? When that idiot had asked about Bethany's skills in bed? He also remembered speaking the lie to Arkham about his relationship with Beth. How she was used for his own sexual pleasure. Were these encounters causing him to think subconsciously about..._that_? He also added the fact that he'd not been with a woman in many months to the equation. He cursed under his breath.

"Absolutely frustrating..." he said in agitation, and rolled over to press his face against his pillow. Bethany Niles certainly was not a child any longer, and it seemed that he was only just realizing this. She was a young woman. An annoying, frustrating, foolish young woman. She often infuriated him with her antics, and made even him act much the fool on occasion. Their arguments were often ridiculous, and her sudden changes in mood nearly drove him over the edge. Hell, he'd even considered killing her a second time at times. She was a constant thorn in his side, one that only pressed further in whenever he tried to do something about it.

And she wasn't afraid of him. He gripped his pillow as he thought of her unabashed face whenever he'd become angry. When others would tremble at his temper, she'd simply look at him with mild concern._ Concern_, for God's sakes. Not fear. It was at first frightening, knowing there was another besides the very few that were not afraid of him. Even as a child, she laughed at his scowls, his glares. It scared him, made him think he was losing his touch. Simply one of many reasons he kept her with him, with a silly subconscious thought that if he'd allowed her to leave, her bravery towards him would spread like a disease, affecting others and causing them to turn and laugh with her at his attempts to make them scream.

But now she was his, and his alone. She did not fear him like she should, but that didn't matter, so long as she belonged to him, so long as he could say that she was his. His possession, his prize to show the entire world that he had conquered the one that did not fear him, and they could not share in his glory.

God, what the hell was wrong with him?

"Son of a bitch." he muttered to himself. He felt ashamed at his thoughts towards her. But they were true in a sense. Even Charmin noticed his possessive attitude towards her.

_'Oh, you were all smug whenever you caught me looking at her, man. Pulling her close, like she was some kind of prize.'_

Jonathan was suddenly angry at the thought of not being able to pull her close at all in two months. That encounter they had in the hall was the most intimate they'd had in that span of time, and it was infuriating. He wanted to be with her, and he couldn't be because of that damned oaf, Bolton. It was his fault they were in this mess. His fault Jonathan couldn't hold her. God, he needed to be with her.

He needed her.

Jonathan gripped his hair, cursing himself and Beth. Cursing the following dark thoughts of her that he'd never relay to Beth for fear of her slapping him silly. He was so sick of thinking in such a way towards the girl. He hated not being able to help it. It all made him feel dirty and pleased at the same time. He feared that this constant distance from her would drive him mad, and make him take her as soon as he next saw her, like some beast. Why did relationships have to be so damned complicated? Why did no one warn him of these damnable quirks? He groaned in defeat and punched his pillow, ashamed that a mere girl was able to reduce him to some love-sick fool.

"Curse this love business all to hell..."

...

**Author's Note: Kinda invaded Jon's head there, didn't we? Kinda weird in there, isn't it? It's not so reserved and organized as he leads most people to think, is it? Haha, hope you enjoyed his torment. Stay tuned, and thanks for the reviews! ;D**


	26. Bethany Watches The Weeks Pass Painfully

(...THREE DAYS LATER...)

Arnold Wesker returns to his cell rather shaken. He and Scarface have been getting more nervous lately. Beth notes it, and goes back to staring at the wall.

(...ONE WEEK LATER...)

Poison Ivy's hidden compartment is found, and Bolton crushes the hidden rose before her eyes. She screams, claiming she can feel it. He laughs at her misery, and leaves the crushed plant on the floor for her to weep over.

(...TWO WEEKS, ONE DAY LATER...)

From lack of human contact, Victor Zsasz busts the light in his cell and begins tearing away his flesh with a shard of glass. He's sent to the medical ward, and Bolton removes the lights from everyone's cells.

(...THREE WEEKS LATER...)

Hatter snaps as he's being escorted to his session, and pokes an orderly's eyes out with a pen before having his arm broken by Bolton. He's sent to solitary confinement.

(...FOUR DAYS LATER...)

Hatter is returned to his cell. He's covered in bruises, and his lip is swollen. He doesn't say a word. Doesn't even speak gibberish. Beth misses his rhymes.

(...ONE MONTH LATER...)

Bethany paced her cell for the hundredth time. She couldn't take it anymore. If she wasn't busy being bored out of her skull, she was either heckled by Arkham or threatened by Bolton. It was mind numbing.

"Dammit..." she muttered, and picked up her pace. She needed to get out. Soon. But she didn't know how. Everything was armed with alarms and powerful electric currents. They were locked up, with nowhere to run to. It had gotten worse for Harley. She was going on Joker withdrawals, and often snapped at the orderlies and even Bolton whenever they spoke to her. One time she said a particularly nasty thing to the temperamental head of security, earning a backhand to the cheek that left a large bruise. Joker made threats. Bolton laughed. The day went on. It seemed Bolton was through pulling punches. He did whatever he damned well pleased to them, saying they deserved far worse. She laughed bitterly, wondering what Ra's would think if he saw her like this.

She went to lean on the glass wall, but stopped herself last second. She'd almost forgot the damned electricity waiting for her. Shit.

"And here I thought I'd get to see fireworks..." someone said. Bolton.

"Too bad for you, Lyle." Beth said to him as he walked over. "What do you want?" she asked.

"Just wondering why I'm not dead yet." he said.

"You want to die that badly? Press your face against the glass and hold it there." she said.

"Still so full of attitude. That'll get you in trouble."

"I've been through far worse than your sucker punches, Bolton."

"I heard you died once. How did you come back from the dead? Hell didn't want you, eh?"

"I had unfinished business." she said sarcastically,. "Why don't you beat it, already?"

"I have my own business to take care of." he said, pointing down the hall. "With your boss."

"What about him?" she asked, trying to mask the surprise and wariness in her face.

"He punched Charmin in the face earlier and knocked his front teeth out. I need to speak with him and teach him that he can't do things like that." he said. As he stepped away, Beth punched the glass wall, only to be shot back by the electricity.

"I'll kill you!" she shouted as she heard the door to Jonathan's cell open.

"Seems she's still keen on you, Crane." Bolton said, and Beth head a loud thump. She felt sick. "You didn't lie to me, did you? About her being nothing but your little henchman with benefits." another thump, and a grunt of pain. "No matter, I'll just assume from now on that you did. You really shouldn't lie, Crane. You could get into trouble."

"S...shut the fuck up, you barbaric idiot..." Beth heard Jonathan say, and she slammed her eyes shut when she heard two more hard thumps. He had to open his mouth. He always opened his mouth.

"Still some attitude in you, too." Bolton said. "Did Niles get her attitude from yo-_ARGH_!" Beth heard Bolton cry out in anger and pain, and she became confused. She heard footsteps, and her eyes widened when Jonathan stepped in front of her cell, his face battered and his posture hunched. His usually swept back hair was mussed, and he held up Bolton's remote. He clicked something, and he opened the door. Beth rushed to him.

"What did you do?" she asked. "How'd you get ou-_mmph_!" she was interrupted by Jonathan's lips covering hers, and she accepted it. When he finally pulled back, he smirked.

"Just...had to do that..."he managed. Beth was about to smile, when a large hand shot out and grabbed Jonathan's cuff, throwing him back. Beth shouted his name as he fell to the ground. Bolton, hunched over, shoved her back in her cell and slammed the door shut before she could go to Jonathan, who didn't bother sitting up. Bolton walked forward and hoisted Jonathan from the ground.

"You hit me between the legs, Crane. That's not very nice." he growled, and punched Jonathan in the face. Beth slammed her fists against the glass, grateful that Jonathan had turned off the electric current.

"Y-you seem to be recovering from it rather quickly...something you're hiding, Lyle? Or...maybe something you _aren't._.." Jonathan wheezed. Bolton's face went bright red, and he slammed Jonathan's head against Riddler's cell wall, making Riddler jump. Bolton dragged Jonathan back to his cell and tossed him inside before slamming the door shut, and picking the remote up from the ground. He clicked something, and the walls were back to full charge of electricity. Beth leaned against one of the cement walls and slid down to a sitting position. She hung her head as silence followed Bolton's loud departure. She heard a small laugh, and at first thought it was Joker. Her brow furrowed when she figured out it was Jonathan.

"Jonathan?" she asked. His laughing persisted, and she said his name again. "Jonathan, what's so funny?" she asked.

"W...we're going to die in here..." he said. His words hit the entire hall like a hammer. His laughs turned to coughs, which became labored.

"Oh, my God!" Harley shouted. Beth's heart rate went up.

"What? What's going on?!" she asked.

"He's coughin' blood!" Harley shouted. Jonathan kept coughing, each one more labored and ragged than the last. Beth rushed up to the small panel with the emergency button located near the glass wall and pressed it. A loud buzzing sounded, and an orderly walked into the hall.

"Who buzzed?"

"Check Jonathan Crane's cell, now!" Beth shouted.

"Okay, jeez." the orderly said, and walked to Jonathan's cell. "Aw, shit." the orderly grabbed a walkie talkie from his belt and held it to his mouth. "I need a medic in here now with a stretcher! We got a bleeding patient! Number 1408! Jonathan Crane!" The orderly then took a small remote from his pocket and pressed a small red button. The electric current was gone, and he ripped open Jonathan's cell door. Beth noted the replicated remote, then continued to panic. Within minutes, Jonathan was being wheeled away on a stretcher, people talking non-stop around him as they left. The following quiet was eerie. Beth gripped her hair, half-crazed from the previous events.

What the hell happened?

...

"Bethany." a small voice said to Beth later on, and she spun around to see Leland lookin at her.

"Where's Jonathan?" she asked, and ran to the glass. "Is he okay? What happened to him?" she asked.

"One of his ribs was broken, and he punctured a lung." Leland said. "That's the cause for the blood."

"Oh, my God, is he-"

"He's fine. His lung was pumped and stitched, while his rib was set. He just needs time to heal." Leland said. Beth calmed when she heard he was okay, then became angry. Her eyes shot to Leland's.

"You still think Bolton's actions are orthodox? You think they're helping?" she asked.

"Well, given the circumstances, Jonathan should not have acted so rashly. Attacking that orderly like that-"

"What orderly?! Bolton walked into his cell and beat the hell out of him!" Beth shouted. Leland gave her a pitiful look.

"Now, I think even you believe that story to be a bit too far fetched." she said calmly. Beth couldn't believe her ears. Far fetched?!

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked. "Are you that stupid?! You're supposed to be smart! Check the cameras-"

"The cameras have been shut off except for on the grounds." Leland said.

"Why?"

"Dr. Arkham said that the cameras made the patients much too paranoid, so we decided to get rid of them." Leland said. Beth shook her head and punched the glass wall. The electricity crackled around it and sent her back again. She barely even felt it.

"You're a complete idiot. An idiot. An...id...i...ot..." she mumbled, and walked back over to her bed.

"Regardless, I am to escort you to Dr. Arkham's office. Apparently you aided in harming Mr. Bolton-"

"We harmed _him_?!" Beth asked, ruching back to the glass. "Take a good look at Jonathan, just once!" Dr. Leland shook her head and pulled out a remote to disable the security system to the cells. She opened Beth's door, and placed her in cuffs before walking her down the hall to the exit. Once they were out of the gallery, Beth allowed Leland to lead her along for a while until they were by the medical wing.

She shoved away from Leland, and ran into the wing. Everything was a glaring white, and she had to squint while she ran through the area, trying to find Jonathan. The lack of proper lighting in the Gallery had really taken its toll. She finally found an area where curtains were pulled around. She pulled them back to see Jonathan laying in a cot, an respirator covering his mouth as he slept. She sat next to him, and lifted his covers to see a large bandage over his left ribcage. It was stained in the center with blood. She swallowed, and pulled the covers back over him.

"My fault..." she muttered.

"There she is!" Leland's anxious voice said from some feet away. Two orderlies were with her, as well as Bolton. He stomped towards her, and she stepped in front of Jonathan to shield him from him. Before he could reach her, another doctor stepped in front of her and held his arms up.

"You'll not take another step, Bolton." he said. Bolton stopped, and growled.

"She harmed one of the doctors and ran from them. She needs to be taken back to her cell-"

"As a medical doctor, I'm keeping her here. She's showing symptoms of a harsh fever, and I need to treat her." the old doctor lied. Bolton growled again, and looked directly at Beth.

"I'll see you later." he said, and stormed off. Leland looked from Bolton to Beth worriedly, and walked after Bolton to speak with him. Beth relaxed, and sat back down next to Jonathan.

"Thanks." she said to the medic. He hmphed, and checked the clipboard by Jonathan's bed.

"I only bought you about fifteen minutes worth of time. Best use it wisely." he said, and began to walk away. "And by the way, this entire incident is most definitely not your fault, young lady." he called, and was around the corner before she could respond. She paused, and looked back to Jonathan's sleeping form. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it.

"Are we really going to die in here, Jonathan?" she asked. No response.

...

Once she was brought back to her cell by the medic, she lay down on her bed and stared once again at the now all too familiar ceiling.

"How's Jon?" Ivy asked.

"Fine. He needs rest." Beth said. Her voice cracked, and she covered her face with her pillow before the flood of tears flowed freely. Ivy cooed at her from her cell, and Harley sniffed sadly.

"Poor Dr. Crane." she said. As Beth cried, she was shouting at herself in her mind. Yelling at herself to come up with some sort of plan to get them all out. She needed to know what to do. They had to get out, or she feared that Jonathan's statement would come to be a reality. Bolton was becoming more aggressive. It was only a matter of time before he really snapped and ended up killing one of them. No one would listen, and they were on their own. Completely alone in their mad little world, which now consisted of a single hall, and a mad warden.

She felt frightened.

...

Later, there was a loud rapping at her cell door, and she looked over to see Bolton's silhouette.

"What?" she asked bluntly. He didn't answer, but a large cheshire grin formed over his darkened face. His teeth were yellowed, and he lifted his arm to show her something he was holding. Beth's eyes widened, and she screamed.

Jonathan's head.

Beth woke up in a cold sweat and looked wildly around. Bolton wasn't there. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself and leaned back. It felt real, that entire scene. She gulped, wondering of the possibility of that dream becoming truly real before her eyes. He was close, she could tell, to losing it. The question was, when would he really drive over the edge? When would his temper blind him completely?

"How the fuck did they hire him?" she asked herself quietly, and snorted. They hired him the same way they hired her; blindly. These people really were idiots.

Idiots.

Idiots that believed anything they heard...

"Hmm.." she felt something, an idea, form in her mind. It grew, and she rubbed the tiredness from her eyes so she could concentrate. Why hadn't she thought of that? She giggled a little at the simpleness of it all, not really know or caring whether or not this would work. Only one thing did matter.

She had a plan.

...

**Author's Note: And here's the next chapter. Two in one day, aren't I awesome? Mwahaha. Stay tuned! ;D**


	27. Bethany Lies

(...THREE WEEKS LATER...)

Bethany listened as Jonathan was brought back to his cell. He was finally able to walk without buckling over every few steps, and for that, she was thankful. Now, she'd be able to go through with her plan. There was no way in hell she'd be able to pull this off with him unable to move.

"'Hoy! Johnny boy is back!" Joker said brightly. "Been a real bore here, Straw Man."

"Yes, well, my apologies for taking the fun with me when I left." Jonathan said jokingly.

"You feeling okay, Dr. Crane?" Harley asked.

"Yes. I'm sore, but that's it." he said. Beth nodded at this, and spoke up.

"You fit for running, boss?" she asked. He was quiet for a moment.

"I may need a day..." he said finally.

"Alright, a day it is then." Beth said, and twirled a strand of her hair around her finger. It had gotten much longer in these past months.

"Got some fun planned, Bethy-poo?" Harley asked.

"Yes, I do actually, and everyone is invited to participate in the festivities." she said. "I just need to make sure everyone is fit for it."

"So, 'Crow's keeping the party stalled..." Joker mumbled.

"My _sincerest_ apologies..." Jonathan said. "I couldn't help keep that large brute from inflicting damage on my person, you see."

"You could've kept your smart mouth shut." Beth said, earning some chuckles. She smirked; any form of laughter was a rarity these days.

"You of all people should know that is an impossibility, Miss Niles." Jonathan said. "Just like it is impossible for you to cease your stubbornness."

"Part of my charm."

"Indeed."

"You know you love it."

"You have no idea..." Jonathan said slyly, making Beth blush.

"Ugh, cut the romance shit." Joker mumbled. Ivy humphed at the clown.

"I'm normally never a fan of such relationships, but I think it's cute..." she said in her silky voice, and she sighed. "I miss my plants..."

"You'll see them soon, Ivy." Beth said. "If all goes well, that is..."

...

Some hours later, Beth was brought away from the Gallery to the hall by an orderly to be taken to her session with Arkham. She wouldn't be acting up a all today. She needed to keep on the man's good side.

"Grin and bare with it, Red..." she told herself as they rounded a corner. Something caught her eye, and she looked over to see Bolton. She scoffed, but furrowed her brow when she saw he was smiling.

Bolton was smiling.

Beth quickly landed her gaze on the cause of his happy features. Was it a dismembered inmate? A dead puppy? Her eyes widened when she took in the cause.

It was Leland, and she was smiling as well. No, not just smiling...

Flirting...

"Holy fuckshit..." Beth said a little too loud in a mixture of surprise and disgust. She didn't care if the words made no sense. Leland and Bolton were flirting.

_Eeew!_

They both looked up, and Bolton's face went stony when he saw Beth staring wide-eyed at him. Leland's face flushed, and she said goodbye to him before walking over to Beth, who had stopped walking. Bolton marched off, leaving them alone.

"Hello, Bethany." Leland said, flustered.

"You got the hots for the nut in the security costume!" Beth said. Leland swallowed.

"You must be mistaken-"

"You like mister anger management!"

"Beth-"

"You wanna jump the bones of an abusive psychopath!"

"_Bethany-_"

"You wanna play with his twig and berries!"

"Bethany Niles, you will hush your mouth!" Leland said sternly. Beth's mouth hung open, but she said nothing more. "Like I said, you are mistaken. Besides, my business is my own."

"That's funny. You, a doctor who prys into everyone's business for hours of the day."

"That is to help you." Leland said.

"Uh-huh, then lemme help you real quick, Joan." Beth leaned in close to Leland. "Run while you still can. That guy's trouble. He'll only get you hurt-"

"Ugh, may I remind you who it is you are fraternizing with, Miss Niles?" Leland said. Beth shrugged.

"Yeah, but Jonathan's a gentleman. He doesn't hit girls."

"Lyle doesn't hit women." Leland said. Beth hooded her eyes.

"You really believe that..." she said. Leland fidgeted with her coat.

"Yes, and what he does do only goes to helping others. He's been such a big help since he arrived-"

"What do you see in him?" Beth asked. Leland was quiet for a moment.

"He's very kind, and listens to me..." she said quietly.

"Sounds like a classic Joker/Harley love story to me." Beth said. Leland frowned.

"I think that will be all, Miss Niles. Orderly, take her to wherever she needs to be." she said, and walked off, the heels of her shoes clicking on the tiled floor. The orderly moved Beth along, and she shook her head.

"That poor doc." she said.

"If you ask me-"

"No one is." Beth interrupted the orderly, and he huffed. The rest of their trip was silent.

...

When Beth was taken back to her cell, she was horribly pissed off. The entire time she was in that office, all Arkham did was insult her and Jonathan, and she had no choice but to take it, for fear of being sent to solitary confinement and having to postpone her mission. Oh, he'd loved heckling her without her saying a word, and his glee showed brightly on his odd looking face.

"I'll poison him, I swear." She caught herself saying.

"Rough day at the office, Bethany?" Jonathan asked from his cell.

"Oh, yeah." she said. "The idiot manager of this place thinks he can say whatever he wants and get away with it."

"Did you let him have it?"

"And ruin tomorrow's fun time? Hell no, I took it." she said, and leaned against the wall. "You feeling any better?" she asked.

"Yes, I should be much better by tomorrow."

"Good." Beth rest her head on the wall. "'Cause, though it's _really_ nice here, I'm finding that I don't like it very much..."

"At least the security is above par..." Jonathan muttered. Beth snorted.

"It's a little rought though. Hey, girls, wanna hear something I stumbled on today?"

"Ooh!" Harley said from her cell. "Tell me!"

"Joan Leland, and Bolton." Beth said. "_Flirting_..."

"Oh. My. Goddess." Ivy said in shock. "That is disgusting."

"Right?"

"That's so icky!" Harley squealed. "Ew, ew, ew, I'm gonna blow chunks!" Harley then made fake retching sounds, and Beth chuckled.

"Women and their gossip..." Riddler muttered from his cot.

"Aw, Eddie! Don'tcha think it's gross?!" Harley asked.

"Utterly horrifying. So why are we speaking about it? Change the damned subject." he said. Harley continued to bicker with him, and Beth looked up at the ceiling with a smile. There hadn't been this much excitement in ages, and it almost felt like everything was normal again. She got up and lay down on the bed. She needed rest, if she wanted to be ready for this.

...

"Lights out, guys." an orderly called. The usual guy who was stuck with the job to chain all the rogues to their beds. He usually didn't need to worry, since they were too afraid of Bolton to do anything anymore. They just lay down and let themselves be cuffed, one by one.

Not tonight...

Before he could enter one of their cells. Beth whistled over at him. He looked at her, and she grinned before slamming her hands against the glass wall and forcing herself to stay there while the electricity ran through her arms. Fuck that hurt. He cried out to her and ran over to her cell, telling her to stop. There were even protests from the other Rogues, especially Jonathan, telling her to cease her mad actions. She finally let go, and slumped to the floor, a tingling feeling running around her entire body.

"_Whoah_..." she muttered. The orderly quickly removed his remote and pressed the small button that cut off the current in the wall. He threw her cell door open and rushed to her.

"You okay, lady?!" he asked, sitting her up. She shook her head, regaining her senses, and smiled at him.

"Just for calling me a lady, you get to live." she said, and slammed his head against the wall. He crumpled, and she snatched the remote from him. She pressed the button labeled 'emergency release', and all of the Rogues' cells popped open. The stepped out cautiously, and she walked over to them. Jonathan regarded her with mild pride.

"That's why you work for me, Bethany." he said.

"What now?" Riddler asked. Beth paused at the question.

"Really, I didn't think I'd get this far." she said. There was a terrible ringing in her ears, and she massaged her temple with her fingers. Jonathan walked up and touched her forehead.

"That was a lot of electricity. Are you alright?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yeah, yeah. My arms are fried, but that doesn't matter. What we need to do right now is run like hell." she said, and walked to the exit. She opened the door for them to walk out. They didn't move. "Let's go, guys." she said.

"What if we get caught?" Harley asked. "I don't wanna end up like Dr. Crane. No offense."

"None taken." Jonathan said, and stepped over to Beth. "But, I'm leaving. What you all do is your business. Stay or leave, I don't much care." he took Beth's hand and walked out of the Gallery, leaving them to ponder their situation.

"Why won't they run?" Beth asked when they were in the hall.

"Because, Bolton has trained them with fear. They much remind me of lab rats, learning where and where not to go in a maze. They're hesitating, but I doubt they'll really stay. He hasn't broken them quite yet." he said. Beth looked back, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Joker and Harley exit and run in the opposite direction of her and Jonathan.

"That's good-"

"_Shhh._" Jonathan pressed them against the wall when they reached a corner, he peered around, and held up one finger. There was one person. Beth nodded, and jumped up to the ceiling, thankful for the many metal beams she could use to keep herself up. She hooked her feet up in them, and crawled upside down, silently, to where the security guard was standing. When she was just above him, she licked her lips and wrapped her legs around one of the beams, letting her upper body drop. She reached out quietly from behind him.

A gunshot from halls away startled the guard, and he looked around to see her. She cursed, and grabbed his head spinning and snapping his neck before he could shout. His body fell to the floor, and she dropped down next to him. Jonathan walked up to her.

"I wasn't going t kill him..." Beth muttered. "I was just going to choke him out."

"Yes, well, it seems that some other, much less stealthy people have alerted the guards. We need to run. Now." he grabbed her arm and raced forward with her, taking many turns in order to keep away from the vast groups of guards who were storming the area. They finally ran into the kitchens, and he closed the doors and slid a mop handle between the door handles to keep others from entering, then, walked over behind the counter.

"Need a snack?" Beth asked exasperatedly.

"Trash shute." he said, pointing to the wall in front of him. He slid back a metal door to show a dark shaft that dropped down about ten feet into a dumpster outside the asylum. Beth checked inside and wrinkled her nose.

"Smells."

"Escapees can't be choosers." he said, and winced. He gripped his side, and Beth became worried.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just sore." he said. They heard a banging at the kitchen doors, and shouts from guards.

"I see them! They're in here!"

"They're trapped in there like rats." Beth and Jonathan heard Bolton say before he slammed against the doors, bending the metal mop handle. Jonathan grabbed her attention and pointed down into the shaft.

"Go, quickly." Beth shook her head.

"No, you go. You're first priority-"

"_No_, I'm not. I'll follow. Hurry, before that idiot gets inside." he said. Beth wanted to argue, but his determined expression kept her words from forming. She nodded, and walked over.

"I'll go first, just, help me in, will you?" she asked. He sighed and walked over next to her. Beth turned around and kissed him, and he froze. After some seconds, she gripped his wrists, and broke away from him. She spun him around and pushed him into the shaft, his feet balancing on the edge and his wrists still held firm in hers. He looked at her in outrage. "You know how I said I wouldn't ever lie?" she asked.

"_Bethany_-"

"I lied." she let him go, and he fell wordlessly down. She slammed the metal door shut just as the kitchen doors burst open and spun around to face the guards. She wondered if she would have been able to join Jonathan if she hadn't hesitated, but wiped the thought from her mind. He was first priority. He left first, even if she didn't get to leave at all. That was her job, and she accomplished it. Now all he needed to do was make it to the water. She hoped to God that he wasn't trying to get back in.

Beth was removed from her thoughts when something hard hit her upside the head. Bolton had hit her with the mop handle. Stars burst in front of her as she toppled to the floor. He turned to the guards.

"He's on the grounds! Get him before he gets away!" They nodded, and began to run out. One stayed behind, eyeing Beth.

"What about her?" he asked. Bolton's furious eyes went back to her shaky form.

"I'll take care of her." he said darkly. "She'll go back to her cell, now." The guard nodded, and ran out of the room to join the others in search of Scarecrow. When he was gone, Bolton reached down and picked her up by her hair. "Thought you could get out, did you?" he asked. She spat in his face.

"Fuck off, sh-shithead..." she muttered. Bad idea. He slammed her head against the wall, and her vision became dark. Her eyes drooped, and finally closed as she slipped from consciousness. He huffed, and dragged her by her collar to the hall. He looked down the hall that lead to the gallery, blinked, then walked in the other direction. Towards his office.

"Yeah...I'll deal with you..._personally._.."

...

Jonathan crawled out of the dumpster, his side screaming in pain.

"Fuck!" he shouted when he fell to the ground. He stood up shakily, and looked up to the shaft door. It was closed. "God...fucking dammit!" he searched around for a way to get back up. Finding nothing, he kicked the dirt. "Shit! Dammit, Bethany!" He knew Bolton had her now, and he felt sick for it. She was supposed to be out here. Not him. "Fucking dammit, Bethany..."

Half crazed, he thought of running back in and taking her. He laughed at the idea. He was not in any condition to do any of the sort. All he could do was run, and escape to the water. He had to escape now, else her capture would be in vain. He had to get out. He had to get help. Another laugh escaped his lips. No one would help him. He finally stumbled to the edge of the island and looked down at the water below. Not so far down. It was where everyone went to dive and escape, because of the lack of sharp rocks. He looked back at the asylum once, and jumped down. The iced water that greeted him helped him out of his crazed delirium, and he began swimming painfully towards the city lights of Gotham.

He remembered the time he'd escaped years ago, after he thought Bethany to be dead, and realized that he felt sickeningly like he did then. Only this time, he didn't know if Bethany was dead or alive now. The lack of a definite answer made him nervous, and gave him an odd hope, one that he half believed would only be crushed when he finally saw her again. Would she look back at him, or would she be hidden by a polished pine box? He didn't know.

And that scared him.

...

**Author's Note: _Sooo_, yeah, that happened. Please don't hurt me. _Pwease?_ (OmO)**

**Thanks for the reviews and suggestions! They're fun to read, haha. Stay tuned! ;D**


	28. Jonathan Talks To Sarah

When Bethany woke up, her head was pounding. She lifted her head groggily, and cracked open her eyes to see a spacious office before her. Her head throbbed again, and she went to touch her forehead. Her hands were restricted by something, and she pulled again. They were locked onto something near her. She looked at them, and saw that she was cuffed to the desk. Her eyes snapped wide, and she began to pull on them, trying to break free. What the hell was going on?

"Awake, I see..." said someone, she spun her head to see Bolton standing at the office entrance. Everything came rushing back. The escape, the shute, the capture. She gripped her cufs and pulled as hard as she could on them. They didn't give.

"Shit..."

"Yeah..._shit_..." Bolton slammed the office door behind him and walked to the desk, leaning on the edge when he reached it. "They're still looking for your freak friend, Crane. It's only been about an hour since you let him loose, so he's most likely still on the grounds. Either way, we'll find him..."

"No, you won-" Beth felt his boot hit her chin hard, and her head snapped back from the force. She became dizzy.

"Don't open your worthless mouth." Bolton growled, and began to pace in front of her with his hands clasped behind his back. "Your life here coulda been simple. But no, you had to rattle the cage. Not one person has escaped this place while under my control, and I pride myself in that fact."

"Sorry to break your streak..." Beth muttered, earning another kick to the side. She buckled over, and he sneered at her shaking body.

"Yeah, this entire thing is your fault. It never should have happened, but you're too confident. You think too optimistically about yourself. That's one thing about you crazies that I just absolutely hate; your complete mental detachment from reality. You especially have that problem, but don't worry. You're about to get a major fucking reality check. In fact, by the time this little..._session._..is done with, I'm pretty sure no other monster in here is going to go against my word." he walked behind his desk and picked something up.

A baseball bat...

"The fuck are you-"

"You see.." Bolton interrupted Beth's panicked words. "I was taught that each person in the world needs their own specific amount of discipline in order to function properly in society. Some don't need much, learning their duties pretty quickly, while others," he smacked the bat against the desk, making a loud slamming noise that hurt Beth's ears, "need a _little _more..._encouragement_..."

"You're crazy-"

"I'm not crazy!" He shouted at her, and she noticed a vein throbbing in his neck. "I'm doing my job! Making sure that scum like you don't terrorize the innocents of Gotham City ever again! It's my function in society! My duty! My obligation! My honor!" he shouted.

"This," Beth said, rattling her cuffs, "Isn't honorable! It's barbaric!" she shouted.

"Sometimes..." Bolton let the bat rise and fall in his hand as he stepped to her. "What is seen as barbaric, is necessary. For the good of society."

"So, what the fuck do you think yourself as? A _vigilante_?!" Beth asked quickly when he stopped right in front of her. Her eyes widened as he raised the bat.

"No, I'm just a security guard, doing his civic duty."

No other words were spoken. No one heard as each blow was delt. The continuous, subtle thud of wood against skin. The grunts of pain. The rattling of the cuffs.

No one heard Bethany Niles scream.

...

Sarah was woken up by Chance in the middle of the night. He was lying next to her, almost on top of her, on her bed, and was growling towards the bedroom door.

"What is it, boy?" she muttered. He huffed, and, not understanding dog language, Sarah grumbled and got up out of bed. She grabbed a hockey stick near the door, used strictly for intimidation, and walked out from her room. "Hullo?" she called out to the dark living room when she entered it, bracing the stick for any sudden movements. No one answered. "Dumb dog..." she lowered the stick and turned to go back to her room. A loud crash from the kitchen made her shriek, and jump in the air. "What the fuck is that!"

Chance ran from her room and into the kitchen. He barked, and a man's voice cursed at the wolf. Sarah ran inside and flicked on the light. Her eyes widened at the sight of Chance standing over a man on the floor, licking his face furiously. The man wore an orange jumpsuit with the words 'Arkham Inmate 1408' embroidered over the left breast pocket. He was soaked, and looked much worse for wear, with his rust red hair strewn wildly, covering his manic eyes. Such eyes found Sarah, and she squeaked with fear at them.

"If you'd be so kind..." he mumbled, pointing with a twitching finger to the hulking beast above him.

"_Who the fuck are you_!" Sarah asked hysterically instead of accommodating him.

"Jonathan Crane, an associate of Bethany Niles. Now, will you _please_. Get. Him. _Off._" When Sarah heard Beth's name, she paused, but when Jonathan continued to stare at her expectantly, she finally turned to Chance.

"Uh..right. Chance, off!" Sarah called, and Chance jumped away from Jonathan, still excited to see the familiar human again. He smelled like Bethany. Jonathan tried to sit up, but he winced, and remained on the floor. Sarah walked over to him. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Struggling." he muttered.

"I was told I was promised immunity from your little experiment thingies." she said. He sighed when she didn't get the hint that he needed help.

"Yes, well, I'm seriously considering breaking said promise..." Sarah raised her hockey stick, and Jonathan realized that he had said the wrong thing. "It's nothing, just help me up." he said. She hesitated before doing so, and carefully lifted him into a sitting position. He leaned against the cupboards and brushed his damp hair back with a shaking hand. "Dammit."

"The Scarecrow is shaking. Interesting." she said.

"You swim from an island with an injury and see how well you turn out." he spat.

"That's why your soaked?" she asked. He nodded. "Why'd you come here?" she asked.

"It's closer than the Narrows. I require a phone. Bring one to me." he said. Sarah huffed at the order, and stood.

"Rude.." she brought him her cellphone a moment later.

"I need you to dial 555-7498." he said. She did so, and handed it to him. It rang for some seconds before being answered.

'The hell is this?' John's voice asked.

"Your employer..." Jonathan said. Silence.

'My God, 'Crow! Where are you-'

"Bethany's friend's house. Silvia-"

"_Sarah._"

"_Sarah's_." Jonathan answered. "The place where the _beast_ is staying." he looked over at Chance, who was staring thoughtfully at him with his tongue dangling out the side of his mouth. He was probably wondering where Beth was. Jonathan bit his tongue when he imagined the various possible places.

Under water.

Under ground...

'Rugrat with you?' John asked. Jonathan swallowed.

"No."

'Where she at?'

"I'll speak with you when you arrive. Bring a medical kit."

'You okay, 'Crow?!' John was suddenly panicked.

"Fine, just get here. This woman is insufferable." he pressed 'end' and tossed Sarah the phone. She caught it and rest it on the counter before looking back at him.

"I'm insufferable? You're barging into my house with no reason, invitation, or manners, and you're calling _me_ insufferable."

"And _you_ keep pointing out the blatantly obvious..." Jonathan muttered. "I don't understand how she found your company entertaining."

"You mean Beth?" Sarah asked. "You just spoke about her in past tense..." she kneeled back down and looked at him with a deadly glare. "Why are you speaking in past tense?" Jonathan clenched his jaw.

"I'm just losing my senses. There isn't any past tense about her."

"You're lying." Sarah said. She looked where he held his side, raised her hand, and pressed it against it. Jonathan hissed in pain and drew back.

"Dammit, woman! Have you any idea who I am-"

"Jonathan Crane, Scarecrow. Boss of my friend, Beth, and current cripple in my kitchen, a room which holds a good amount of sharp, pointy objects. Now, you tell me some truth here before Mr. Butcher Knife pops out of the drawer and steals your pinky finger." she said. Jonathan stared at her, shocked by her boldness. Kids these days. Nor respect for the criminal loop. He finally humphed, and looked away.

"She said you were _normal_. I see no sign normalcy in you at all-"

"_Crane_."

"_Alright_...There is a slim chance that she may be dead..." he felt the words become weak as he spoke, and he was barely able to even say 'dead'. He himself couldn't, didn't want to, believe it. Surely no one would allow her to die under Bolton's rage. Of course not...right?

"Dead?" Sarah stared off through him for many silent moments, and Jonathan almost thought her to be comatose, until she finally balled her hands into fists and snapped her full attention to him. "So what did you do this time?" she asked. Jonathan's eyes widened.

"Excuse me-"

"I looked into her story when I found out who she was. You shot her. She disappeared. Now she might be dead again, and you know something about it. What the hell did you do?" she asked. Jonathan pursed his lips and cocked his head to the side as he thought of a decent answer. It was a good question.

"Quite bluntly? I encouraged her." he said. "I did the right thing, just in the wrongest way possible...that's all..."

"Well, see how well your encouragement is working. You're half drowned, and my friend is most likely dead." Sarah said. Her voice cracked. Jonathan didn't care. She was less than nothing to him. Just some pawn of Beth's that dog-sat for her when she was away. Her caring for Beth though, was slightly appreciated. He wasn't the sole person who cared for her, which was more or less a relief to the scientist. At least this wastrel was some shred of proof that Bethany had a somewhat typical life outside the criminal world she resided in. Normalcy. Maybe this girl was her definition of it.

"Hm..."

"What?"

"Mind your business."

"Oh, my God. How does she stand working with you?" Sarah stood and walked over to the window to peek outside.

"It's a fifty/fifty thing." Jonathan answered. "I put up with her shit, and she puts up with mine. Perfect working relationship..."

"Sounds more like a regular relationship to me." Sarah said, turning back to look at him. "You two, uh, you know...together?" she asked.

"What is it to you?" Jonathan asked.

"Man, she really is crazy..."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means, that if I was with a guy with your attitude, he'd be on the curb by now."

"Like I said, it's a fifty/fifty thing. She has her own bit of attitude that I need to deal with. You know that." he said. "Or have you never really met Bethany Niles?"

"I get it." Sarah sat down in a dining chair and surveyed him as he studied the floor tiles. "You know, when I first met her, she was all over the place. Didn't know what the hell was ging on, poor thing. Didn't seem to know what anything she looked at was. Like it was all new. She was in a mall, for Christ's sake. What girl her age doesn't know what a mall is? I mean, you should have seen her eyed go all wide in wonder over a pair of cheap-ass sneakers from the Payless store. After I figured out her story, I got to thinking. She disappeared for a long while after you shot her. She must have gone somewhere. Somewhere isolated. Away from anything like a city, or maybe even a damned town. She was gone, away from all forms of civilization. And then she pops up again, out of the blue, as some girl that was just named 'Beth'. I thought she was just a ditz at first, but after all the craziness with the breakout from Arkham and shit, I realized she just wasn't here. At all. Gone-"

"What is your point?" Jonathan asked.

"Did she really..._die_? Because, the way she acted, it was like she'd never even been born. Like she was just getting used to actually walking. I'd never seen someone so captivated and confused by the world around them. It might sound dumb to you, mister scientist, but the way she was acting was like she really was dead for a long time, and she'd just woken up from some Sleeping Beauty nap or some shit." Sarah said. Jonathan imagined Bethany walking around, taking in the harsh difference of the society of the city compared to the cold isolation of the mountains in eastern China. Like waking up from some dream, it could have been, being thrust so quickly back into modern civilization before you can even blink.

"When I first met Bethany, she was in a condition very similar to the one you described. Not knowing what was going on, what to do, how to act. Confused beyond her entire being. The only difference between our first encounters was that she'd just finished up horrifically butchering her dear disturbing family and was in a slight state of post-murder delirium, which, we all go through during our first few kills, it's nothing to worry about, really. Completely normal. And for her age, I think she handled it very well-"

"Get on with it, Scarecrow..." Sarah mumbled, beginning to feel sick. _Completely normal_, her ass...

"Yes, anyway, before the entire murder fiasco, which they deserved, she had lived a life of isolation. And when I slowly introduced her to Gotham's underbelly, she acted the very same. Confused, with slight wonder in her young eyes. Constantly asking questions about everything. An intense need to figure out everything she could. What I'm trying to say is, when one is brought suddenly from one lifestyle to another, they can't help but feel...completely out of the loop, newborn, etcetera. They can't help looking utterly new to everything, because that is exactly what they are. I helped her better understand her new environment by teaching her. She had someone to depend on. Did she ask you many questions, when you met?" he asked. Sarah nodded.

"Yeah, like every few seconds. She was like some foreigner, asking what everything was used for."

"Exactly. You were what she depended on. She made an emotional attachment to you through that dependence, you know. She may not be too aware of it, but it's there. To answer your question, no, she never died. She'd just returned from an isolated place, and she was once again new to everything. There was much her and I did not explore when she was with me, my being a criminal and all. She'd never seen a shopping mall, or a movie theatre, or a nightclub. She'd seen the Iceberg Lounge, and the back of some warehouses. That's about it." he said, feeling slightly regretful at that. Sarah smirked.

"You should have seen her when I took her to the movies. We watched some cartoon she picked out, and she kept making some excited comment on it every five minutes. I had to shove popcorn in her mouth to shut her up." she said. Jonathan huffed, feeling a wave of jealousy towards the dark haired girl. She'd got to spend leisure time with Bethany, something he'd never really gotten to do at all. What gave her the right to make Beth smile? "Then I said we should watch a horror flick afterward." Sarah went on, bringing back his attention. "We watched about ten minutes of it, when the bad guy finally chopped this blonde chick's head off, sending fake blood everywhere. Beth stood and walked out after saying something about not feeling well. I followed her, and when we were in the lobby, she was shaking all over. I asked her what was wrong, and she, uh...she, uh, asked me if he was real. I laughed, like an idiot, but said no. Of course he wasn't real. She kept shaking, and I hugged her. Took a minute for her to calm down. Never seen a grown woman shake at Huntsman like that, but I guess she really wasn't a grown woman at all. She was just a kid, scared from a boogeyman."

"Huntsman?" Jonathan asked.

"Yeah, the bad guy's name. A big, ugly lumberjack looking guy that runs around the woods, chopping up scantily clad teenagers with a massive, bloody axe. Typical teen scream villain, you know?" Sarah said. Jonathan nodded, knowing why Beth shook now. She'd never like the woodcutter from Red Riding Hood. He felt a little better, knowing this girl's unknowledgeable blunder. Did that make him a bad boyfriend? Perhaps, but the real question was whether or not he cared. But, Sarah still had an advantage. He remembered that she had also comforted Beth, and the jealousy came back. Hell, she'd even known Beth's real name while he was stuck with Jacqueline Landon. Fucking hell.

A rap at the door sounded, and Sarah walked quickly over to the door. She answered, and Jonathan expected John or Michael's voice.

It wasn't.

"Good morning, ma'am. G.C.P.D." an officer said. Jonathan stilled, staring ahead as Sarah answered.

"Hello, officer." she said, not seeming at all nervous. "What's going on?" she asked.

"I saw your lights on." he said.

"Is that a crime now?" she asked jokingly. Jonathan furrowed his brow. Was she flirting?

"Ah, naw, ma'am." The officer said with a chuckle. "Have you been watching the news, ma'am?" he asked.

"No, I only woke up for some coffee." she said.

"Well, a patient from the asylum escaped earlier last night, and they haven't seen him on the island. They believe he's in Gotham, around this area." Sarah gasped.

"Oh, my. Who was it? Is he dangerous?" she asked.

"The Scarecrow, ma'am." the officer said. "I'm gonna need to ask that you stay indoors and lock everything up for a while, just incase, you know?" he asked.

"Oh, wow, yes I'll do that. Well I hope you catch him, officer. You seem more than capable." she said.

"Thanks, ma'am. We'll get him soon enough." he said, and Sarah bid him goodbye before closing the door and locking it, returning to the kitchen. She leaned against the doorframe, and smirked at Jonathan. "So easy to wrap a rooky cop around your finger." she said.

"Do you always use your femininity to get what you desire, Sarah?" Jonathan asked.

"Do you always use fear to get what you want, Scarecrow?" she asked in return. "We have our talents; you with science shit, and me with my natural charm." she said.

"Men back in the day called women like you Sirens, always leading them astray, only to make them crash and burn in the end." Jonathan said, rolling his eyes.

"Siren, huh? I take that as a compliment. Those water spirits are pretty."

"At first, but then, they show their true colors. A rather nasty looking poltergeist that sucks the life energy greedily from their prey."

"Sounds fun." Sarah said. Another rapping at the door, and she answered it. "Hey! Rude!" she said suddenly.

"'Crow?!" John's voice asked.

"Here, you fool." Jonathan called. He heard stomping, then stumbling. Something shattered.

"Great.." Sarah muttered.

"For God's sakes, don't break the woman's house, you idiot!" Jonathan called. John finally reached the kitchen, and looked over Jonathan.

"Shit, 'Crow. You look like hell." he said. Jonathan snorted. At least the man was honest.

"Where's the medical kit?"

"Here, boss." Michael said, walking in with a large box. He knelt down by Jonathan and open it. "Where's it hurtin'?"

"I may have torn my stitches. Check them." Jonathan said. Michael nodded and opened Jonathan's jacket and lifted his shirt.

"Nope, they're fine. You might just be sore from swimming. Lemme clean the salt water out of it. Where'd you get the stitches, anyway?"

"Busted rib poked a hole in my lung." Jonathan said.

"What caused that? You get in another fight with Riddler? I told you, you gotta stop arguing with that guy-"

"No, you lummox. It was the new head of security, actually. I said some things, knocked someone's teeth out..."

"And an official decided to be the bad cop?"

"He isn't even a cop. Just an anger management case with a badge. He has Bethany." Jonathan said.

"Kid gonna be okay?" John asked. Jonathan glanced at Sarah.

"I honestly don't even know if she's alive right now." he said. A sad silence fell over the group, and Michael pressed a cloth with alcohol on it to Jonathan's wound. He hissed at the sting that followed.

"Sorry, boss." Michael said, not referring to the pain. Jonathan nodded.

"No reason to be sorry yet. We don't know anything definitely. I need to get back to Arkham..."

"You just escaped!" John said.

"Not with Beth. I need to go back and make sure she's alright. But, I'll have some backup with me."

"Us?" John asked.

"God no, you'd only make it worse. No, I need someone with influence, and a powerful arm. I just need to get him to listen...that'll be a feat..."

"Who?" Sarah asked. Jonathan rolled his head to look at her.

"The Batman..."

...

**Author's Note: So, I have a story to tell you guys real quick. I watch this show called The Big Bang Theory, and these two nerd guys, Raj and Howard, go to a Goth nightclub. They meet these two chicks, and guess who their names are. Bethany and Sarah. My mind was BLOWN. Just sayin'. That is all. **

**Hope you enjoyed! Sorry for lateness. Homework is a bitch. Stay tuned, and thanks for your reviews! ;D**


	29. Jonathan's Mind Goes BLAHBLAHBLAH

"My God-_someone call medical_!"

"What the hell are you doing, Harley?! Let's go-"

"No, Mistah J! We gotta help her!"

"Leave her!"

"You go ahead! I need to help her!"

Bethany barely registered the conversation as she tried to open her eyes. She couldn't. They were swollen shut.

"Gh..." she tried to speak. Her throat was like sandpaper.

"Shhh, shh, baby. Hold on. Harley's here." Beth grunted again as Harley picked up her broken body from the floor, and she passed out.

...

"She gonna be okay, doc?"

"She'll live, if that's what you're asking. I still need to run tests on her, and see if any of her bones are beyond repair. Where did you say you found her?"

"The bottom of those stairs that lead to the third floor."

"That's a steep climb, which would explain most of these injuries..."

"Fuu.." Beth's eyes opened up a bit, and she was able to make out the fuzzy outline of a protective Harley leaning over her. "Harl..."

"Mornin', sunshine." Harley replied. The fuzzy outline cleared somewhat, and Beth could see the clown girl looking back at her with watery blue eyes.

"Where am I?" she heard herself ask.

"Medical wing, sweet-cheeks. You've been out for hours. Doc said you might slip into a coma..."

"Well, now that she is awake, I'm going to need to keep her from falling back to sleep for some hours, just to jog her mind back into gear." the doctor said.

"What happened, hun?" Harley asked. Beth raised a brow, half wondering about that herself.

"What happened to me?" she asked, looking to the doctor. He harrumphed and picked up a thin clipboard with a stack of papers attached to it.

"Cranial damage, cerebral damage, fractures to the left ribcage, humerus, tibia, and right hand, internal bleeding and bruising of the lungs and stomach, broken leg and arm, _near _paralysis, heavy bruising over the epidermis, the list goes on. Now do you remember what happened to you?" he asked. Beth went rigid.

"Oh..." she shook her head, remembering Bolton, and his damned bat. She lifted her head and looked down at herself. She may as well have been in a body cast...

'If you survive this and tell a soul what happened, I'll gut your boyfriend in front of you...'

His final words to her before he pushed her limp body down the long metal stairs rang in her mind, and she suppressed a shiver.

"I fell..."

"...Right..." the doctor said unbelievingly, sighed, then waved his hand at the subject. "I'll return in an hour to check your condition and all that. Miss Quinn, I suggest you stay and keep the girl company so she doesn't slip into sleep."

"Aye, aye, captain!" Harley said, and saluted ridiculously to him before he sighed again and left. Harley took her and Beth's sudden time alone to advantage, and spun on her friend. "What the hell happened to you?" she asked seriously, all accent gone. Harleen Quinzell was present, and she was not pleased as calculating blue eyes pierced into Beth's grey ones.

"I fell." Beth repeated.

"Is that really the truth?" Harley asked, and Beth suddenly realized the absurdity of her excuse.

"I've climbed a mountain without support, and trained with some of the world's top assassins in countless martial art forms for years; of course I didn't trip and fall over some silly steps!" Beth hissed.

"Was it Bolton?" Harley asked. Beth gritted her teeth, and gave a stiff nod. Harley's expression darkened considerably, and Beth began to feel uneasy being around the oddly controlled woman in front of her. There was no zaniness or whimsy in her features like usual. Just cold eyes and pursed lips that clashed horribly with her blonde pigtails. "Dr. Crane is going to kill that man, you know, once he finds you in this condition." she said. Beth gave a small hopeful smile.

"You really think so?" she asked. Harley nodded.

"He might not even need toxin. He'll be angry enough..."Harley said knowingly. Beth scrunched her brow. She thought she'd been the only one who knew about Crane's darker side.

"You know-"

"-that he's got the potential to be a bigger crazy than any of us? Yes. I worked under him long enough to understand the oddities of that man. And, professionally, I think you're crazier to be with him than I am to be with Joker."

"Thanks for the reassurance, doc." Beth said, and closed her eyes. She was becoming tired.

"Na-uh. Don't close those lids, young lady. Do you want to end up like Sleeping Beauty and take an eternal nap?" Harley asked, snapping her fingers in front of Beth's face. Beth opened her eyes and scowled.

"Can't you just have Jonathan kiss me and break the spell when he gets back?" she muttered, and Harley smiled.

"Aw, that's so romantic!" she squeaked, regaining her accent. Beth smirked at her.

"Did anyone get out?" she asked finally. Harley's pigtails seemed to droop at the question, and she shook her head.

"Afraid your little escape plan only worked for Scary. No one else got out. Mistah J almost did, but Bolton snatched him up before he could could get to the ventilation shaft. The big jerk's still really pissed, though, that someone got out."

"Yeah, I _know._.." Beth gestured to her own body, and Harley frowned.

"Why don't you tell?" she asked.

"He said he'd kill Jonathan if I did. At this point, I very much believe him. His mind's not right, Harls. He's one of us, but wants to kill us. This sucks."

"Taste of our own medicine, hm?"

"This isn't a taste. We might as well be chugging the bottle."

"Well said, toots..."

...

"He's gonna knock you out and toss you back in the slammer without lettin' you get a single word in, 'Crow!"

"Shut up, I know what I'm doing."

"But boss-"

"I said shut it!" Jonathan glared at John, daring him to speak again. When there was no reply, Jonathan went back to pacing Sarah's living room. He'd been there for two days, trying to figure out how he'd get the Bat's attention without blowing anything up in the process. It was very difficult, believe it or not. Sarah watched him pace from her couch, a turkey sandwich in her hand.

"You have no idea what you're doing, do you?" she asked.

"Remind me why she's still alive?" Jonathan mumbled. Sarah smirked.

"'Cause I'm Beth's bestest friend who is also taking care of you two's giant fuzzball and am allowing you to stay in my home until you get your shit together...that's about it..."

"Rhetorical question." Jonathan said bitterly, and stopped in front of the television. The news was still blaring about his escape, telling nothing about what was going on inside the asylum itself. Expected, and excruciatingly unhelpful to the distressed doctor.

"Any plans?" Sarah asked after a moment of silence.

"No..."

"Beth said you were smart..."

"I will give you a thousand dollars if you will just shut the hell up for fifteen minutes..." Jonathan said.

"Let's see the money first, buster."

"Ugh..." Jonathan went back to pacing. "I'll just have to do something bad. There's no way he'll drop by if there isn't some fanatic scene taking place."

"You want to hold up a liquor store or something? That'll get him." Micheal said, walking out of the kitchen with his own turkey sandwich.

"That is horridly below my standards, and I refuse to be sent to Arkham over something so low as that."

"So, what? Rob a bank?" Sarah asked, and her eyes lit up. "You could use your creepy gas on a bank! Full of school kids! Special kids! Orphaned ones!" she said. The three criminals stared dully at her.

"Mentally challenged orphan shool kids in a bank..." John said slowly, and turned to Jonathan. "I'll get the straight jacket..."

"With extra buckles, please..." Jonathan muttered. Sarah blushed.

"I'm just throwing out ideas. Things that you seem to be lacking, doctor creep show..." she said sadly, and took another bite of her sandwich. Jonathan blinked at her, then shook his head before seating himself down on the couch.

"Why not just go out there and wreak some havoc with your toxin?" John asked. "Throw it everywhere in the street, let it loose, ya know?" John said, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Unprofessional..." Jonathan said, and John huffed.

"Look, I'm real sorry boss, but ya seem to sound a little more concerned about your theatrics than ya are about rugrat." he said. Had he not already been against the wall, Jonathan would have slammed him into it. Instead, the good doctor wrapped his hands around Johns throat as he leaned in close, teeth bared and eyes menacing. Sarah shrank in her seat while Micheal rolled his eyes at the scene.

"I'll allow you to fix what you said once. I'd take that offer..." Jonathan hissed, and John shook his head.

"A-all I know is, that every second we waste comin' up with a battle strategy that fits your standards, the kid could be gettin' deader and deader. Pick somethin', boss..." he managed. Jonathan seriously considered crushing his throat and watching as the henchman gasped for air before dying, but logic took over, and he let John go.

"Havoc it is, then..." he muttered before leaving the room. Sarah's eyes were still wide.

"I thought he was gonna kill you!" she said in slight excitement. John rubbed his throat.

"Yeah, it happens..." he said. Sarah's eyes managed to become wider, and she dropped her sandwich.

"You've gone through that before?" she asked. They nodded. "How can you put up with..._that_?!" she asked exasperatedly.

"'Cause we know he won't really kill us, unless we do something real stupid like pull a gun on him..." Michael said and shrugged.

"How can you be so sure about that?" Sarah asked.

"There's a lotta reasons why we work for 'Crow, and, actin' like his surrogate conscious sometimes is one of 'em." John said. "Sometimes his brain gets all jumbled what with all he does, an' we lay it out flat for him to see clearly. Like just then, he was gettin' how he usually works mixed up too much with the task at hand, and he was loosin' focus on the main issue, so, I pointed that out, and see how easily it got fixed?" John snapped his fingers, "Just like that. He might be all organized an' shit, but there's such thing as bein' so organized that you end up makin' a bit of a mess."

"So...you guys clean up that metaphorical mess?" Sarah asked.

"_Room service_." Michael said with a smirk. "But yeah, we might look like a couple o' lackeys, but we can be pretty helpful with stuff other than toting the gun and lifting the heavy stuff. We got brains in our skulls."

"That's why we work for him." John said, and snatched Michael's sandwich and took a bite. Sarah mulled the new information over for a moment. So they kept the files in Scarecrow brain all tidy, huh?

"So...why _you_?" she asked.

"'Cuz, when a guy in a burlap mask points a gun at you and asks if you wanna die or be his personal therapist/muscle, the logical thing is to go for the option that involves you staying alive." Michael said.

"He forced you?" Sarah asked.

"Hell, we deserve it." John said. "We was tryin' to jack one of his drug trucks years back, an' he just so happened to be in it. Now, we got a solid job, good pay, and a completely rational boss with no temper issues."

"Two outta three ain't bad..." Michael muttered, giving a small smile. Sarah leaned back in her seat.

"The criminal life is really confusing." she said. John scoffed.

"Shit, you don't know nothin' about confusin' 'till you run a day in our shoes..."

"Why not give up the thug life and live a normal one? It's a lot simpler." Sarah said. Michael furrowed his brow.

"Where's the fun in that?"

...

Jonathan woke up in a daze, his mask covering his face. He narrowed his tired eyes. His face hurt. He brought his hand up to touch it in his confusion, and he felt cold steel linked around it. He looked down. He was cuffed. His eyes darted up. He was in a dark space. The space was moving. Stars and fog clouded his sense of judgment, and he made a small grunt in his delirium.

"He's awake." someone said.

"We're already here, anyway." a dark voice answered. Jonathan's eyes snapped wide. He knew that voice.

Batman.

Clarity filled his mind, and Jonathan felt the wave of memories from earlier crash down on him. They were in the street, he and John and Michael. They fired random shots. He threw toxin every which way, his gaze sweeping over everything, trying to find where the bat would be hiding. Then, a sharp pain. The darkness.

"Shit..."he muttered. Since he had Beth, he'd forgotten to always check his blind spots. No matter. He was here now, and only that mattered. "Batman-"

"Quiet, Crane." Robin said to him from the front passenger seat. Jonathan ignored him.

"Batman-"

"He said 'quiet'." Batman said, and Jonathan growled. The Batmobile stopped, and the top slid open to expose the trio to the night air. Jonathan searched, and found the lights of Arkham Asylum greeting him from only some feet away. Shit.

"B-Batma-" he began, but Batman grabbed his collar and dragged him out of the car. Batman then grabbed Jonathan's right arm, while Robin grabbed his left, and the two vigilantes began their trek to the asylum entrance with the Scarecrow between them. "Batman, listen to me, I'm in need of your assistance-"

"Ha, that's rich." Robin said. "Would you like him to hand over the keys to your cuffs, doc?" he asked. They were closer now, and Jonathan felt himself begin to shake despite himself as Bolton flashed through his thoughts. God, what was waiting for him inside that prison? What would happen if he wasn't able to get these two idiots to listen?

"Listen to me, you imbeciles!" he shouted.

"I don't want to have to knock you out again." Batman said, tightening his grip on Jonathan's arm.

"But-"

"Shut up, Scarecrow." Robin interrupted. Jonathan felt his plan unraveling quickly as they finally reached the steps to the entrance. His organization went out the window. He lost his chance. They wouldn't listen.

"Don't take me back there, _please_!" He heard himself shouting. Was that really him? He suddenly felt like a teenager again, being dragged to the barn house by his sick grandmother to be tortured by the crows. Were the crows in the asylum? Did Bolton know? He grabbed Batman's cape. "Look at me, Batman! I'm shaking with fear! Me, _The Scarecrow_!" He'd lost it. His mind was a scrmble of mixed thoughts and memories. "I wasn't even going back to crime this time-" Batman yanked him along, and he nearly stumbled on a step. "I just had to get away from-" he heard the entrance door creak open, and he stared at the large silhouette, "-him!" he finished meekly.

Batman and Robin both looked up to see Bolton walking down the step to them.

"I'll take it from here, Batman." he said, bringing out his badge to show them as he reached the three. "Lyle Bolton, chief of security." He leaned over to look at the shivering doctor. "Congratulations, Dr. Crane. You're the first inmate to escape Arkham under my charge." He snatched Jonathan and hoisted him up in his powerful grip. "You're also the last..." he said, a hint of dark promise in his angry voice. Bolton looked back to Batman. "I won't let you or the people pf Gotham City down again, Batman..." he said importantly, and chuckled cruelly at Crane before he dragged the discombobulated doctor up the steps and through the entrance.

Jonathan looked back once to Batman, trying to remember why he wanted to be caught. He couldn't remember. His mind was in shambles. Who was this man dragging him, again? Where was he? Why was he in this ridiculous costume? He was supposed to be home. The door closed behind the two, locking Jonathan inside the asylum. He blinked furiously. This was all wrong. He needed to get home, or else Grandmother would punish him again. He needed to get home...

...or he'd be food for the crows.

...

**Author's Note: I am proof that the dead can rise. Hallelujah, praise the lord! I'm here at last! New chapter, FINALLY. Please don't kill me. Yes, this was rather sad, Batsy not listening to him, and the chaos making him go back to the past like crazy. Sowwy , Scary. Hope you enjoyed! Thanks LOADS for your patience! ;D **


	30. Jonathan Gets Tossed Again!

"Oh, I got some plans for you, Crane..." Bolton said as he lead Jonathan roughly through the corridors. He sneered when Jonathan began speaking gibberish nonsense. "Gotten a little crazier since you escaped? No worries," He hoisted Jonathan up to look him in the face, "just more for me to beat outta y-"

"Bolton!" a man yelled before the security guard could finish. Bolton growled to see the medical doctor walking toward them, a suspicious expression on his aged face. He removed his round glasses as he reached them. "I'll take over from here." he said. Bolton scowled.

"But doc, he's dangerous-"

"He's injured, Bolton. And that means he's now my responsibility. Thank you for escorting him inside. Come with me, Dr. Crane." The doctor took Jonathan's arm and removed him from Bolton's grasp before leading him away to the medical ward, away from imminent harm.

Jonathan followed the doctor without struggle, shaking his head, trying to get a grip. Where the hell was he? Just who the fuck was this? He was supposed to be doing something. What was it? Where was John? He needed to speak with John and Michael. Fuck, that's why the bastards worked for him, and now they weren't here. He needed to be organized.

"Organized..." he muttered.

"I need to warn you Dr. Crane, that you won't like what you see when we enter the medical ward..." the doctor said apologetically. Jonathan looked at him.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You're colleague isn't in good shape to say the _very _least."

"What colleague?" The doctor looked at him.

"You seem to be forgetting yourself, Dr. Crane. Does Bethany Niles ring a bell?" he asked. Jonathan furrowed his brow. Yeah, that rang a bell. A very LOUD bell, but he wasn't able to grasp anything definite. He sighed in frustration. Madness was taxing on the mind. The doctor nodded at his silence. "You'll see when we get there. Ah, and here we are."

The door to the medical ward was opened, and Jonathan stepped inside to the familiar white room. He'd once performed an experiment on Arkham in here. Such fond memories.

"She's over there." the doctor said to him, pointing to a bed where a heavily bandaged person lay, IV's in each arm and a respirator over their mouth. A blonde woman sat sadly next to the person, patting their sleeping head with care. Harley Quinn.

"Harleen?" Jonathan asked. Harley looked up to him, and she shrieked.

"What are you doing here so soon?! You haven't even been out a week!" she said angrily without her accent, and pointed to the sleeping person. "She went through that for nothing!" Jonathan walked up to the bed to see the person's face. His eyes went wide.

"Beth..." he muttered, clarity hitting him like a hammer. Her face was bruised, her limbs in casts. "What..."

"Bolton did it!" Harley said loudly. Beth stirred, and Harley clapped her hand over her mouth. "Oops..."

"Harley, you're so loud..." Beth murmured, and opened her eyes. They landed instantly on Jonathan, and her brows raised. "That was quick.." she said humorously. Harley huffed at the joke and sat back down roughly in her seat. Jonathan sat, still shaking, at the foot of her bed, his mind reeling back into place.

"Feeling alright, Niles?" the old doctor said to her, picking up her clipboard. Beth nodded.

"The meds work wonders, doc." she said, and coughed.

"I'll go get water." Harley said, and walked off. Jonathan was surprised the doctor didn't keep her from leaving.

"You're letting her roam freely." Jonathan said.

"With her friend in this condition, Harleen has dubbed herself Niles' nurse. She won't leave."

"What happened?" Jonathan asked. The doctor shrugged.

"She apparently fell, but the tests say otherwise. She won't talk to me, but she'll talk to you, most likely." he said, and left the room. Jonathan turned to Beth.

"What happened?" he repeated.

"Bolton beat me up pretty good." Beth said instantly. "He needed a bat to do it, though, the wuss." she said.

"Bolton was the one that brought me inside, right?" Jonathan asked. Beth stared.

"You don't remember him?" she asked incredulously. Jonathan bowed his head.

"I'm going through a bit of an episode." he said. "Mid-life crisis type of thing. It would be kind if you relayed the last few weeks to me..."

"Bolton is the new head of security. He's crazy and has anger issues. He beat the fuck out of you and electrified our cells. We made an escape plan to get away from him. You got out. I got beat up by him for getting you out, and now you've apparently been caught, and here we are." she said, gesturing to the room.

Jonathan stilled as the information clicked, and he remembered himself. His shaking ceased, and he stared at his hands in cold anger. He looked again at Beth, now really taking in the sight of her beaten body. Bolton did that. All of it.

_Tick-tock tick-tock..._

All of it.

_Tick-tock tic-tock..._

"I'll kill 'im..."

"Aw, that's sweet." Beth said in an attempt at humor, but when he looked over to her, her slanted smile dropped off of her face. Shit, he could be scary when he wanted to.

"This isn't a laughing matter, Bethany." he said with ice. "I'm going to rip off his fingers with a goddamned wrench." Beth leaned back on her pillow as she continued to take in his seriousness.

"Go on..." she said. She saw that familiar beastlike smile take over Jonathan's usually calculating face as his eyes narrowed to sadistic slits. Sometimes she thought he became a completely different person when he did this. Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. His hand gripping her leg protectively brought her back from her thoughts, and she gave him a questioning expression. His eyes were focused on the doorway into the medical wing, like a pointer dog was to prey. Beth turned to see Bolton walking in, searching around to make sure no one was there. When he was certain they were alone, his own cruel smile spread across his face. Beth was surprised to find herself mildly unimpressed with it. She was actually becoming bored with that smile. Tired of it.

"If it ain't the creep-show couple of the year." he said. He hacked a laugh when they didn't answer. "Tongues tied, freaks? Too scared to say anythin'?" he asked. Only when he became close to them did he notice Jonathan's expression. The smile showed Jonathan's rows of perfect white teeth, and the eyes promised terrible things to come when Bolton's back was turned. The combination actually stumped Bolton, and he coughed awkwardly. This Scarecrow guy was actually freaking him out. He looked over to Beth. Her bandaged, dull, and unimpressed gaze beat into his mind. It was like she was seeing right through him. Like he didn't just beat the shit out of her and throw her down the stairs. Was that not bad enough for Princess Crazy-Bitch? He rubbed his fingers together as nervousness began to creep over him like a thin blanket.

"Something wrong, Bolton?" Beth asked, making him twitch a little, and she smirked. "You seem jumpy..."

"You're seeing things." He shot at her. "Of course, that's expected. You're fuckin' nuts." he said.

"Not to mention the fact that you scrambled my brains with that bat and then dumped be down the stairs..." she said bitterly. Jonathan's following growl turned into a hollow laugh.

"Oooooh, I have _so _many fun things waiting for you, Bolton." he said with so much malice that Bolton found himself believing him. "I wouldn't turn my back from now on if I were you."

"What the fuck does that mean?" Bolton asked. Jonathan shrugged, feigning ignorance.

"We all of us Rogues have out own stash of things in this asylum. Let's just say, hypothetically of course, that I set them up. Let's just say, hypothetically, that they're set up juuust for _you_. _Let's just say, hypothetically,_ that you're _fucking screwed _if you go back to your apartment in Gotham..." he said. Bolton's lip curled.

"You didn't..." he muttered. Jonathan shrugged again.

"I said it was all hypothetical. It's your choice whether or not to believe it or not." He turned to Beth. "Oh, yes, once you get out of here, stay away from the west wing. It's kind of like a _ticking time bomb_ right now." He turned back to Bolton and grinned. "Hypothetically." Bolton grabbed Jonathan by the collar and hoisted him up. He tossed him, and Jonathan crashed into a counter of various surgical tools. "Ouch.." he muttered, and stood up to examine the long thin cut he received on his arm from a particularly sharp scalpel. "That wasn't very nice..." he said as he removed a stitching needle from his leg.

"Jonathan..." Beth called at him worriedly. He raised his hand to indicate he was fine.

"I'm alright. I've been through worse." he mumbled, straightening out his rumpled clothes. Bolton seethed at him.

"I'm warnin' you _once_, freak. The mouth stays shut, or she disappears." he said, pointing to Beth. Jonathan rolled his eyes.

"As if anyone would believe us anyway, you great lummox. You have this entire asylum brainwashed. If we were under different circumstances, I'd congratulate you."

"Jus' so happens that I'm being questioned tomorrow in court over my methods." Bolton said, and cursed. "Don't know why the hell Bruce Wayne would call in the middle of the fuckin' night just to say he wants to have an examination. Anyway, he's requested that a handful of you freaks be present to state your opinions tomorrow. Like I said; keep it shut, or girlfriend sleeps with the fishes before the day is done." With that, Bolton left the two alone.

"They're questioning him tomorrow?" Beth asked. Harley came back in with water, her hands shaking just a bit. Beth took the water from her. "Where were you?" Harley chuckled nervously.

"I was uh, just uh, over there. Sorry, Toots, but when both Bolton and Scary are showin' off their creepy smiles, it's a bit much for someone who ain't so used to the whole fear business to handle. An' when Bolton started tossin' stuff around.." Beth frowned after taking a drink.

"Aw, Jonathan, you scared my friend." she said. Jonathan was bandaging his arm quietly with gauze he found in one of the drawers. He huffed a short laugh, but became quiet again. Harley bit her lip.

"So, uh, didja hear what Bolton said? He's bein' talked to tomorrow. An' we get to finally say our side of things. Mr. Wayne'll be there, so we'll have an impartial audience at least. Once Brucey hears what we have to say, he'll cut off Bolton's funding and maybe even have him fired!" she said the last bit with much enthusiasm, and, when she saw that her emotions weren't shared by her companions, her pigtails seemed to droop. "What's with the long faces? Didja hear me? We'll finally be free of that big pigheaded asshole."

"We heard you." Jonathan muttered as he started on his leg. "But you obviously didn't hear the end of his little speech. If I blab, he kills her before I can get to her." Jonathan said pointing to Bethany.

"And if I talk," Beth said, "Bolton kills Jonathan. I'll have none of that." Harley nodded at this.

"'Kay, then I'll just talk for all of us!" she said brightly. Beth and Jonathan both shook their heads.

"He'll do the same in your case, you fool..." Jonathan said.

"Don't you have a certain _Puddin'_ you're supposed to be protecting?" Beth asked. Harley gasped, and her lip quivered.

"Oh, my poor Mistah J!" she said. "What about Ivy?! She can talk!"

"Either the promise of your death, or the mutilation of an endangered plant will keep her green lips closed." Jonathan said.

"Riddles?"

"His own death."

"Hat guy?"

"He's not even mentally _here_ most of the time."

"Clayface?"

"A watery grave."

"Ventriloquist?"

"Termites."

"Uh-uh...Oh, dear...uhm..." They could practically see the fumes coming from Harley's ears as she tried to formulate some sort of plan. Jonathan glanced at Bethany.

"Fix your friend before she explodes." he said.

"Harley, calm down. It's no use thinking so much. Bolton has us wrapped around his pudgy finger."

"But...we got a chance..." Harley said sadly. Just then, the old doctor walked in. His eyes widened at the sight of the surgical equipment on the floor, and Jonathan bandaging himself.

"What the hell happened in here?!" he asked.

"Nothing..." Jonathan answered, his teeth locked tightly together.

"This is certainly not nothing, Dr. Crane! What the hell happened!"

"Nothing, Lawrence." Jonathan said angrily. The doctor who Jonathan apparently known him as Lawrence walked up to the ex-head psychiatrist.

"I mean, what the hell happened to _you_?! Where's your drive, man?! Your stubbornness! I've never seen you so damned tame before! All because some muscle-headed bastard roughed you up and made some threats!" Beth and Harley's mouths dropped open in shock while Jonathan stared with hard eyes at Lawrence.

"And the 'Balls of Steel Award' goes to...Lawrence! Congrats..." Beth said finally. Only Harley gave an amused snort. The old doctor merely walked over to Beth bed and checked her iv.

"I used to respect you a great deal, Dr. Crane. And, though I loath your current practice of psychiatry and chemistry, I still loath even more the fact that I have patients coming in every damned day with large welts and bruising and cuts and broken bones, saying they _tripped_!" He said. "Dammit, for the last few months all any of these people have been doing is tripping and falling and coming here looking like they just went through a wrestling ring! Do you all think I'm a bloody _idiot_?!"

"Uh, doc...calm down..." Harley said nervously when she saw him brandish a needle with a shaky hand. She grabbed it from him. "I can do this part." she said, and moved towards Beth's arm.

"You need to step forward and tell everyone what is going on before any of this gets any worse than it is! I can't do it, because it would only be hearsay and assumptions. If an actual patient were to tell everyone what's happening, though, that would be an entirely different case altogether. Even one mention of Bolton being abusive to his patients from a patient themself, and a full-scale investigation would ensue, and even without the damned cameras, he'd still be caught with something. He's not very smart at hiding things, Dr. Crane." Lawrence brandished from under his desk a metal baseball bat covered in dents and dried blood. "Found this floating in the water on the drive back home. Perhaps you'd like to present it in your case tomorrow."

"Bat..." Beth said when she looked drearily at it. The effects of the injected medication were beginning to work. "Hurts...jus' lookin' at it...haha.." Harley patted her head as she fell asleep.

"Your words are all well and good, Lawrence, but that doesn't stop the fact that Bolton will take worse than a bat to us if we so much as hint that he's mistreating us." Jonathan said. Lawrence sighed, and put the bat under his desk again.

"Yes, I agree that you'll be taking a great risk if you say anything, but, when in your _particular_ line of work did you _not_ take a chance that meant life or death? This fear you have-"

"I'm not afraid." Jonathan said quickly.

"Then what's keeping you, Crane? Or do you _enjoy _seeing your colleague being given pain medications for her broken ribs? You have until tomorrow to decide that." Lawrence walked out of the room to retrieve some more proper equipment to bandage Jonathan's wounds. Harley slumped in the chair next to Beth's bed.

"He's got a point, Dr. Crane. We're dead either way, no matter what we do at that hearing. We talk, he kills us. We keep our mouths shut, our brains lose the ability to function after years of sitting in a electric cell..._brain_-dead..." Jonathan rubbed his bandaged arm at the thought of it. He bit the inside of his cheek.

"I'm afraid you're right..."

...

**Author's Note: I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...please, please don't make me listen to Justin Beiber. AUUUUGH! NO, NOT NICKI MINAJ! ANYTHING BUT THAT-AHHHHHHHH *DEAD***

**In other news! Only a few more chapters to this left! But what's that? A sequel is being designed? OOOOH, GOODY! More wait time! Sorry for the lateness. I seriously need to get my shit together. It's my last year of highschool and I just signed up for the Navy. Yup, you're talking to a bona-fide Seaman as of now! Yaaaay! XD **


	31. Jonathan Speaks And Bolton Freaks

"But I want to go..." Beth said angrily the next morning. Dark circles shaded under her eyes as she looked with a frown at Jonathan. He patted her hand in reassurance.

"You won't be missing very much at all. Trust me. It's not going to be some incredibly eventful day." he said.

"You still get to go..." she muttered, and went to cross her arms. But they were bandaged, so all she could do was pout pathetically at her boss. Jonathan sighed.

"You're acting like a child."

"I'm technically one, aren't I? I'm not even twenty."

"You're still an adult, and I expect you to act like one especially in these situations. Bolton chose the select few who will be attending the hearing today. No doubt he's already given Harleen and Arnold a good pep-talk..."

"Sick bastard. Wish he was on our side."

"We all do. But he isn't."

"Be careful, at least. As you can see, I'm not in the condition to save your ass again."

"You make it sound like I'm dependent on you."

"Jonathan, you wouldn't be able to find your stupid glasses if I didn't remember where you placed them."

"Broken bones and massive bruises, and you still are able to crack some smartass comment. That's why you work for me." Jonathan said before bending down and kissing her lightly on the forehead.

"So it's not just my devilishly good looks?"

"Go to sleep." Jonathan mumbled humorously and left her in the medical wing. His orderly met him at the door, and he was escorted to the entrance, where Harley and Arnold waited with Bolton. "Are we driving with you, then?" he asked Bolton, who gave a stiff nod.

"Don't want you makin' any dumb plans behind my back."

"Aw, I guess we'll have to talk about the surprise party later then..." Harley joked and walked outside toward the awaiting van. Jonathan sighed, and walked after her. This was going to be one Hell of a day.

...

At eleven thirty a.m., Jonathan and the other inmates were escorted into the large courtroom, where they were seated at the front pews. They watched as four men in suits walked inside and sat at the head table up front. Gordon, Arkham, Lawrence, and Bruce Wayne. Orderlies were all over the room, as well as officers, and Bolton sat at the pew to the inmate's right. He leaned over the desk in front of him and laced his pudgy fingers together, smiling like he knew there was no need to worry. A red-haired reporter sat in the corner, scribbling furiously into a small green notebook as her eyes darted about the room, taking in every detail. Jonathan saw Bruce Wayne lean over to Arkham and murmur something, a slightly confused look upon his face.

_Probably wondering why there isn't any waiters... _Jonathan thought, then shook his head. Bruce Wayne was an exception to the rest of the rich rats that lived in Gotham. He actually had a brain in his head, and he put it to good use. Jonathan had no quarrel with Wayne.

"Alright, alright, let's call this meeting to order now!" Gordon said, and banged the gavel once to make the courtroom silent. "We've called this meeting today to look over some complaints filed by Dr. Lawrence Bartholomew that suggest that Mr. Bolton, the new head of security at Arkham Asylum, uses inhumane methods in order to keep the patients in their places. Obviously, we can't go by just Dr. Bartholomew's word alone, so, we've brought in a handful of Arkham's patients to describe to us Bolton's actions towards them and their safety. Bolton, have you anything to say to this?" Bolton growled.

"If anyone has anything to say about my methods..." he said, "Please, tell me..."

"Bring forward the first witness then." Gordon said. One of the orderlies went to the inmates, and he lead Harley over to a small chair over to the far left of the room. She stuck her tongue out at the orderly as he left and she cast her miserable gaze to the floor.

"Miss Quinn, do you have any complaints against Mr. Bolton?" Lawrence asked. Harley looked at him, then to Bolton. He sneered at her, and she quickly looked to the floor again.

"I got nothin' to say..." she muttered. Lawrence sighed, and pressed further.

"But surely you must have something you wish to-"

"You gat a hearing problem or something?!" Harley shouted, cutting the old doctor off. "No! Nada! Ixnay! Zero! Zilch! Bupke! _Nothing, okay_?!" She was out of breath, and she took large heaves of air into her lungs as she slumped into the chair. Jonathan shook his head slightly to the side as she was lead back over to the pew. She sniffed sadly as the orderly left, and he patted her hand.

"S'alright..." he mumbled quietly.

"Tell that to my dignity, doc..." she replied. For some reason those words shook Jonathan slightly. He pushed it aside, and watched as Arnold was next brought up with his doll, Scarface.

"Have you anything to say, Mr. Wesker?" Lawrence asked kindly. Arnold fidgeted in his seat and mumbled something inaudible. "It's alright, I promise. You can speak freely here." Arnold and Scarface looked at each other, then to Bolton. Sweat beaded on Arnold's brow as Bolton smiled threateningly at him. He scrunched his brow, and looked up to Lawrence. Jonathan stilled in his seat. Was the timid one going to really speak?

"Mr. Bolton..." Arnold began, "He's a-"

"A hard worker!" Scarface interjected, smacking Arnold once to keep his mouth shut. "A real stand-up guy! No complaints here, chief!" Jonathan and Harley both exhaled in both relief and disappointment as Arnold was lead back to be seated next to them. Harley hugged the sad Ventriloquist.

"You're next, Scarecrow." The orderly said, and hoisted Jonathan up.

"I can walk myself, imbecile. I don't need someone leading me." Jonathan said, ripping his arm out of the orderly's grasp. He walked briskly to the chair and seated himself, crossing his arms and legs in annoyance.

"Now, Dr. Crane, have you anything to s-"

"Wait a minute." Arkham said before Lawrence could finish.

"Yes, Dr. Arkham?" Gordon asked.

"I'd like to make sure that it is perfectly clear that Jonathan Crane is no longer a doctor, and that he shouldn't be referred to as such, for fear he might never escape his heinous delusions."

"Fair enough. For safety of Jonathan Crane's mind, please don't refer to him as doctor, Dr. Bartholomew." Gordon said. Lawrence nodded quickly and got back to the subject.

"Anyway..._Mr. _Crane, have you anything you'd like to say."

"Why, there's plenty I'd like to say. But you should be more specific so that I know what I should say things about." Jonathan said. He needed to stall them so he could organize himself. What should he say? What _could _he say? Absolutely nothing, that's what...

"I mean about Bolton." Lawrence said, understanding what Jonathan was trying to do.

"What about Bolton?" Jonathan asked. He pinched the brim of his nose and slammed his eyes shut. God, he didn't have much time. What the hell was he going to say? Absolutely nothing...

"Have you any complaints about his security methods?" Lawrence asked. That was it. That was all the time they had. Jonathan stared hard at the floor tiles. He needed a drink. A scotch, specifically.

_Enough with the damned idiot thinking. _He thought bitterly. Here he was thinking about scotch while Beth sat bandaged in the medical ward because of this son of a bitch. His expression saddened. Ah, Bethany. He had to think about how she would be treated after all of this. If he said anything, Bolton would certainly do something. If he said nothing, well, at least she'd be alive.

_But would we really be living? _He thought again. They'd never see each other, if not hardly. They'd never leave their cells except to be taken to their psychiatrists. He'd never create toxin again. She'd never see that beast of hers. They'd lose all of their pride.

'Tell that to my dignity, doc...' Harley had said. Yes, they'd lose their dignity, sick and depraved as it was. But they still had it. And now they'd lose it. Jonathan looked over at Bolton, who waved his hand at him. Jonathan caught sight of a thin razor in his hand, and he looked quickly back down. What the hell could he do to Bethany with a razor. His hands clenched to fists.

"Mr. Crane, you've been sitting here for nearly ten minutes." Lawrence said finally. "Do you have anything to say?" Jonathan gritted his teeth, making up his mind.

"No...sir..." he forced. He didn't notice Wayne look oddly at him from his seat up front. Bolton cleared his throat.

"And yet _yours_ was the _loudest_ voice of protests." he said. Jonathan shot a venomous glare at Bolton. Now he would rub it in, the bastard. "You _surely_ must have _some _misgivings about my methods."

"It _seems._..." Jonathan hissed. "It seems...I was...mis.._taken_..." Jonathan forced the bile of words from his throat, and gripped the arms of the chair.

Fuck.

Bruce rose from his seat, and smiled at the room with perfect white teeth.

"Well then, based on today's testimony, I propose extending Mr. Bolton's contract for an additional eighteen months." Harley and Arnold gasped. Jonathan went rigid in his seat.

GOD FUCKING DAMMIT.

"No, you can't!" Arnold burst out. "You don't know what he's doing to us-"

"Shaddup!" Scarface hit Arnold upside the head. "Don't listen to jerk-face, here! He don' know what he's sayin'!"

"No! It's all true!" Harley tossed Scarface to the floor and shook Arnold vigorously. "If we don't speak up now, we'll never get another chance! He threatens us! He even takes away our privileges, even when we're _good_!" Bolton rose from his chair as the orderlies attempted to calm Harley and Arnold down.

"We've heard enough of this nonsense..." he said slowly and angrily. Jonathan looked as Wayne stared unbelievingly at Bolton with a suspicious expression. When Harley and Arnold were subdued, Bolton seemed to relax. Jonathan bit his tongue, his heart jumping like a rabbit in his chest. He rose.

"He says scum like us need to be kept in line!" he shouted, adding a little more fear to his voice than was necessary. Anything to get the point across, he supposed. "That's why he chains us down at night an electrifies our doors!"

"He held me over a can filled wid termites! Ya hear me?! _Termites_!" Scarface shouted.

"He beat up Mistah J! And Hatter! And Riddles! And Scary, too!" Harley shouted. "He killed a flower in front of Ivy!"

"Bethany Niles sits in the medical ward in an almost full body cast because he beat her with a bat and threw her down the stairs!" Jonathan went on, earning a collective gasp from the entire room, especially from Wayne. "We have the bat as evidence! Go to Arkham! It's there! Then he threatened to kill us if we talked today!"

"He's an animal!"

"A monster!"

"Keep him away!"

"Shut up! All of you!" Bolton began to run towards them, but the orderlies dog-piled on top of him, keeping him in one spot. He fought them off, and made for them yet again. Bruce Wayne kicked a chair over in front of him, and he fell to the floor. The orderlies restrained him again, this time with his own cuffs. He stared with death in his eyes at the inmates. "You're all disgusting pieces of shit! You should be beaten within an inch of your misbegotten lives, then fed to Croc for good measure!"

"I've seen enough!" Lawrence shouted. Lyle Bolton, you're dismissed from Arkham Asylum!"

"Before I came here, Arkham was a revolving door for every _maniac _in Gotham!" Bolton said hollowly. "I kept them in! _Me_! Now I _realize_ I was wrong to punish _those pathetic miscreants_! They're only _symptoms_! _You're the cause_! The _gutless_ police, _mindless_ bureaucrats, and _codling doctors_! You should all be locked up! _In a cage without a key!" _Bolton was lead out of the room, still struggling. Jonathan took a deep breath when the room became silent.

"That was interesting..." he said.

"Yes, it was." Bruce Wayne said, walking up to him and the other inmates. "The question is, though, why didn't you speak out sooner? Before everything became so terrible?" Jonathan hooded his eyes and pointed with Harley and Arnold and Scarface to Arkham.

"That bastard took away the cameras so there would be no evidence of Bolton's actions. We repeatedly told the doctors what was happening, but Arkham and Bolton said our crazy minds were twisting the facts! He's the reason why it became so damned terrible!"

"And he also liked to make fun of us about it!" Harley said. "He liked to ask us how our own medicine tasted!" Gordon and Lawrence and Bruce looked shocked at Arkham, who was inching for the door.

"Arkham, are you serious?!" Gordon asked. Arkham's glasses slipped off his face and hit the floor.

"Th-they deserved it, I tell you! They deserved it! Years and years of them running my asylum with their insane methodology! Escaping from their cells, killing and beating the doctors! They deserved it! Finally I got to laugh at _them_! They got to suffer, while I smiled on!"

"You're mad!" Bruce said angrily. "It's your job to keep the inmates under control! And if you need to resort to hiring scum like Bolton to keep them in place, then I don't think that you're fit to run an asylum for the criminally insane!"

"You can't do that! You can't do that! That asylum is mine by birthright! Arkham! _I'm an Arkham!" _

"And just like your ancestor, you seem likely to end up as one of his asylum's patients..." Jonathan said with a smile. "You don't look so good, Jerry. Is that a little bit of craziness I see glinting in your eyes? Mad with power. How cliche."

"You're lying! It's my asylum! Mine!" Arkham spat, leaning against the walls.

"Orderlies, please take Dr. Arkham into custody." Dr. Lawrence said. Arkham fought as the orderlies did as they were told. Not being very strong, he was subdued quickly, and lead out of the room.

"I'm very sorry that you had to go so long without any help." Bruce said to Jonathan. "That asylum was meant to aid it's patients, and I see now that it has been doing everything but that. I just wish I could turn back time and never hire that man."

"Yes, well, don't we all?" Jonathan said bitterly to the billionaire who had brought Bolton to Arkham in the first place.

"Is...Miss Niles doing alright?" Bruce asked. Jonathan raised a brow at Bruce's concern, and shrugged.

"She's fine. Almost everything is broken, but so long as she can still breathe, she can still make snide comments about my attire." he said. Bruce smiled, and rest his hand aon Jonathan's shoulder.

"I'll personally make sure that should she need anything in regards to medical or rehabilitation, I'll see to it. She'll have nothing but the best doctors until she's fully healed." he said. Jonathan's eyes widened, and Harley squealed.

"Handsome and caring, I love it!" she squeaked. Jonathan coughed and held out his hand to shake Bruce's.

"I'll hold you up on that, Mr. Wayne." he said professionally. Bruce nodded and shook his hand.

"I'll also have another Head Doctor and Head pf Security by the end of the week." Gordon said. "And things are going to change at that place! No cameras? God! No, I'm going to have a team of my men inspecting that asylum at the end of every month from now on!" Gordon walked off and began speaking quickly to the policemen inside, giving orders for who to contact in regards to the next head of security.

"I guess that's that!" Harley said as they were lead out of the room and into the van to be taken back to Arkham. Arnold nodded, tears in his beady eyes.

"I'm so happy I could cry!" he said, and hugged Scarface.

"Hey! Get da hell offa me, Dummy!"

"Dr. Crane?" Harley asked when Jonathan didn't say anything or share their enthusiasm. He merely looked out the window with a bored expression on his face. "Aren't you happy about Bolton being gone?" she asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yes, of course." He said dully, and continued to look outside, no hint of joy on his face. Harley shrugged, and began talking excitedly with Arnold and Scarface. Only when no one was looking at him, did Jonathan crack the smallest, but brightest of smiles.

...

**Author's Note: One chapter left! Oh my! And I updated early! Aren't I unpredictable! Haha! Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for the awesome reviews! Luv ya guys! ;D**


	32. Bethany Makes The Final Blow

"So he's no longer a problem?" Beth asked the next day. Jonathan rest his chin on his hand and watched as Harley helped her take a drink of water. She'd just come out from a drug-nap, and she was still unable to use her already bandaged arms properly.

"Not a problem at all. From what he said before he was dragged from the room, I'm guessing that he's going to target authority figures now."

"I though he wanted to do good, sick as he is." Beth mumbled in confusion. Jonathan shrugged.

"He still thinks he's doing good. He wants to keep the city clean and freak show free. But he believes the authority figures are allowing us crazies to run the city. If they're not going to be part of the solution, they'll only be part of the problem. That is his logic." He rationalized. Beth blinked at him and shook her head.

"You psychiatrist types look to far into things. He's just crazy. End of story." she said.

"Yeah, totally bananas! Bonkers! Wacko!" Harley said brightly. "Oh, yeah! And Lawrence said that they'll be taking out the chains and electric thingies from our cells! No more blisters on these wrists!" she said, and held out her wrists to show the various scratches she acquired from the chains. "I'm super happy they made him head doctor here! At least we can get along with that guy!"

"Poor Jerry." Jonathan said with an uncaring smirk. "I heard he hasn't stopped babbling since they placed him in solitary confinement. Personally, I'd have just killed him, instead of being nice and letting him be treated here."

"You'd prefer to kill anybody who annoys you with their existence." Beth said a little more clearly. The meds were wearing off now, much to her pleasure. She hated not being able to focus. Jonathan rolled his eyes.

"If that were true, I'd have killed you already." he said.

"You thought you did. Does that count?" she asked, not meaning anything but good humor. Jonathan stiffened in his seat, and she bit her lip guiltily. "Oh, so we can't joke about that yet?" she asked.

"Never. I never want to think about that night again." he said. Beth frowned at him.

"But if it didn't happen, our entire lives would be completely different! I wouldn't have found Chance, I wouldn't have met Sarah, and we never would have been in a relationship! I'd be like your daughter..._thing_...I dunno!" Beth splayed her hands exasperatedly and rest them on her lap, staring at Jonathan with much emotion in her grey eyes. She finally pouted, and cast her gaze to her feet that were poking out from under her blanket. "I know it sounds completely stupid, and irrational, and some _big word _you know but I don't, but I'm..._happy_...you 'killed' me. This whole scenario would be different, and I just shiver at the thought of it. My life's been full of bumps and bruises, and terrible things, but that's what I signed up for the day I chose to sit down at the kitchen table with you that first day, okay? You've helped me out a lot, doc. And all the good stuff that I got to share with all these people I know, even just sitting in the rec room with the other inmates and talking bullshit, it makes up for all the bad I went through. You know? I'm happy. I really am. So don't say you never wanna talk about that night again. It means too much to me..."

"Oh...my...god..." Harley whimpered. Beth looked at the clown girl, who's big blue eyes were watering terribly as she stared back at Beth with her hand on her heart. "That is the most cutest most wonderful thing I ever heard!" she squeaked. Jonathan coughed awkwardly and shifted in his seat.

"Yes, well, um..." he muttered. What the hell could he say after that? He was supposed to be smart, dammit. Beth watched him fight with himself and she sighed before moving her hand over to his.

"It's okay, boss. I know you're not good with touchy-feely things. But it's nice that you care enough to set your brain on fire trying to think of something. It's cute watching you squirm." she said, and grinned at his blush.

"Shut up or you're being promoted..." he mumbled, and squeezed her hand. Beth laughed and leaned her head back on her pillow.

"Oh no, anything but a bigger allowance!" she joked. "Ugh, I'll admit, I'm not used to that much emotion-giving either. I think it's these damnable medications..." she said, and lifted her arm to gesture to the iv.

"Lawrence said you'd be off of 'em and in a wheelchair before the week is out." Harley said. Beth's grin widened.

"Yes! Then just a few short months of physical therapy and I'm free to spring outta here. Can't wait to get back to my job." she said, and looked over to Jonathan, who averted his eyes quickly. She scrunched her brow. "What is it?"

"You're sure you want to continue working for me? After the hell you're still going through because of you helping me?" he asked. Beth's questioning gaze turned to an angry glare.

"Jonathan Crane, if you think for one second that I'm going to pussy out on working for you because of some broken bones, then you're much dumber than I thought!" she said loudly. Jonathan blinked wildly, surprised at her outburst.

"I just-"

"I don't wanna hear it! I'm working for you! End of discussion!"

"But-"

"End. Of. _Discussion_..." she said so threateningly that Jonathan actually clapped his mouth shut and looked everywhere but back at her acid gaze. He'd taught her a little too well, it seemed. Beth huffed at his silence and looked back up at the ceiling. Harley sighed.

"You two are so cute!" she said. "I can't wait to see your babies-"

"_S-so tell me, Beth_!" Jonathan interrupted loudly with a reddened face. "I've never actually had my left tibia broken before! How does that feel, anyway?"

"Uh, It feel just like my right one." Beth said a little hysterically. Jonathan nodded.

"So, no difference?" he asked.

"None, none whatsoever." Beth said.

"Who would have thought?"

"I know, right?" the two shrugged their shoulders in unison and stared with flushed cheeks at the tiles on the floor as if something wonderfully interesting were going on down there. Harley tsked at them and grinned, happy to be the center of their discomfort.

"So cute..."

...

**...SIX MONTHS LATER...**

"Hey look, guys! The_ big shot's_ back!" Harley's condescending voice rang through the hall, waking Beth up and making her sit up from her cot in curiosity. Big shot? The sound of the rogues hooting and hollering in anger and evil glee made her even more curious, and she walked carefully over to the glass wall to investigate. It'd been an entire month since she began walking again, but Lawrence said to take it easy until the scarring and bruises completely healed. She looked down the hallway to see a bulky man in a straight jacket being lead down her way. She gasped, and her knees almost buckled.

It was Bolton.

She'd heard about him becoming some goon in a costume, but she didn't think she'd see him caught so early.

"Guess that means Lawrence will be back soon..." she muttered, remembering that the rogue Lock-Up had kidnapped him in his pursuit to cleanse the city of its filth. She was happy Lawrence would be returning. He was alright, for a white-coat, and after he defended the Rogues to free them of Bolton all those months ago, they'd all promised not to target him in the future. But, they had to agree that it would be okay if they accidentally killed him with no intention. Hey, shit happens. But now Beth watched as Bolton got closer, his crazed, dark eyes darting back and forth from rogue to rogue. What was he thinking, she wondered.

"Hmm, _Bolton._." she heard Jonathan say from his own cell. "It's going to be fun having you around, old boy. All these lessons we get to teach you now. See you in my next class on phobias..." he said with much promise, and Beth smirked. When Bolton reached her cell, she whistled for his attention. He looked over, and his eyes turned to menacing slits. She went to say something, but stopped herself. Instead, she just waved, and walked back to her cot as he was taken down to his own cell where he was locked securely inside.

They'd have plenty of time to talk later...

...

"Waaakey, wakey, big boy."

"Damn, how hard did you hit him, Harls?"

"Not hard enough. He's still breathing!"

"Shh! Someone will hear!"

"Such an odd tea-party..."

"Psst! He's moving!" Beth waved her hands at the rogues to hush them as they watched Bolton stir slowly in the metal chair he was strapped to. He finally shook his head and looked up to see all of them, decked fully in their costumes and practically radiating sick anticipation.

"Da fug you doin' here..." he tried to say, but his mouth was gagged by a sock. He looked around them. Were they in the asylum cemetery? He tried to struggle, but he failed, and their chuckling angered him. They dare laugh at him? Riddler walked forward tapped the chair with his green cane.

"You like it? It's yours, really. We just welded your cuffs to the arms and legs to make sure you didn't escape and ruin our plans. I must hand it to you, you are quite the excellent lock maker. Even you can't escape these enormous cuffs."

"I'll ki' yuh!" Bolton raged, and fought harder. Riddler tsked and smacked him hard upside the head with his cane.

"That's for the black eye, you worthless pile of rotting meat..." he said, and turned to the rogues. "Well, I did what I wanted. Now I get to watch, which I personally think will be more fun."

"Yeah, step aside, green boy." Scarface said, his wooden hands holding a jar of scorpions. "I got some o' my own stuff I wanna pay 'im back for..." Harley squeaked in delight and twirled her hammer in the air.

"OO! Mistah J! I wanna go soon! I wanna get enough of my own screams outta him before Scarey goes!" she said.

"You'll wait you're damned turn!" Joker hissed. Jonathan, whose mask was rolled halfway up his face to reveal his mouth, lit a cigarette and took a drag from it.

"I'm fine with waiting. It makes the event more pleasurable if you do." He cracked a grin and wrapped an arm around Beth's shoulders. "Isn't that right, love?" Beth's charcoal-lined eyes that peeked from above her burlap kerchief glinted, and she nodded.

"Sounds about right, boss." she said. Harley looked thoughtful for a moment, then she smiled.

"In that case, Lil' Red here should go last. She did get the worst of Bolton's craziness, so I think it's fair, huh?" she said. The rogues murmured in collective agreement.

"Well, technically I'll be going last." Ivy said from the tombstone she perched on, clad in nothing but green leaves that made a sort of bikini around her. Her hair seemed to wave, even though there was no wind, and her green eyes glowed in the dark night. It was the natural way she looked when she was surrounded by plants. "My venus fly trap will be digesting his remains later..." she said happily, pointing to the botanical garden where she hid most of her 'lovelies'. Bolton started, his dark eyes wide with what the rogues were very pleased to be fright. He whimpered, and Beth felt Jonathan give a small shiver of contained glee. She smirked at his inability to hide his excitement, and she cleared her throat.

"Hey, Bolton. Remember when you kept asking me when I'd kill you? Yeah, that's happening." she said. Bolton shouted a sting of muffled curse words at her. Jonathan dropped the dog-end of his spent cigarette to the ground and took up something that was leaning against the tomb stone. It was the bat that Bolton had beat Beth with. He handed it to her, and she regarded it thoughtfully. "Thanks for the thought, hun, but I got something a little more appropriate for the occasion." she said, and set the bat back down. She then removed her red trench coat to reveal a elegant axe strapped to her back. Taking it from the holster, she let the moonlight glint off the black and silver blade for all to see. Scarface whistled.

"Where'd you get dat nice piece o' razor, toots?" he asked. Beth grinned pridefully at her weapon.

"A friend of mine that trained me for six years sent it over. I told him about my situation, and he had it custom made for killing scum like this. He didn't like that one of his favorite pupils was beaten unfairly to a pulp. He's so sweet." she said, and rest the axe over her shoulder. Jonathan had a terrible grin on his face now, and he clapped his hands together in glee.

"So, who's going first?"

...

Six hours later, Bolton was leaning forward, blood and welts covering every inch of his face. His clothes were torn, and he made short burst of terrified screams periodically. Jonathan had just administered his newest toxin. It's potency was incredible, and made the worn out Bolton scream terribly for twenty minutes before his mind finally shattered from the chemical's strain. Now he was a whimpering mess, shaking his head back in forth in fear and confusion. The rogues were lounging on the ground, watching the display. Jonathan had another cigarette lit and in his mouth. Joker picked at his ear.

"That got kinda boring after a while, doc. Don't know how you do that all the time." he said tiredly. Jonathan shrugged, and sighed in content.

"It's an acquired taste." he said. How he enjoyed those screams. He waited over a year to hear them, and now he was finally satisfied. He rolled his head to look over at Beth, who was picking a bit of dirt from her axe, that clashed wonderfully with her white blouse. God, she was beautiful tonight. "Ready for the finale, love?" he asked. She looked over at him and smiled, even though he couldn't see it.

"Took you guys long enough." she said. Jonathan nodded to Bolton.

"Go at it. His mind's not completely gone. I saved some for you to mess with." he said.

"You are so good to me." she said, walking forward. Bolton looked up at her as the rogues hushed up their conversations. This was going to be great. Bolton shook his head at the axe and tried to speak, but the bloody gag barred him. Beth reached over and pulled it from his mouth, some of his teeth falling out as a result. He looked up at her again. "What was that?" she asked.

"Don' do id..." he said. "Please...don' do...id...never killed none o' you...nod fair..." he said. "_Nod fair_!"

"You know what's not fair, Bolton?" Beth asked. "Having to be tortured all your life by scum like you, and then cast away into a crazy cell when they finally push you over the edge, while they get away scot free. The so-called 'innocents' shaped us. Created us. Made us who we are today.I think it's very fair that we revolt against our makers and make them suffer just as we did, _with interest_." she said.

"Enough talk! More psycho bloodshed!" Joker called. The rogues laughed, but agreed with him. The time for talk was over. The time for revenge was now, at four thirty on a cold Monday morning while the moon was still bright and full above their heads. Beth lifted the axe above her head, and swung down hard. It his Bolton's arm with a thick 'thunk', and he screamed while the rogues cheered. Jonathan watched Bolton's blood spatter against her white blouse and he had to give it his all to keep himself cool and collected. He feigned mild amusement, but was practically howling inside at the display. If only she knew what she was doing to him. It was enough to make him religious.

"Oops, missed..." Beth said unbelievingly, and pulled the axe out of his arm. Three more swings, three more screams of pain and terror, and three more cheers. Beth was panting now, the top two buttons of her bloodied blouse undone and strands of her hair hanging over her face, also speckled in drying blood. Jonathan finally stepped forward.

"As much as I _love_ watching you do this, dearest." he said, fighting to keep his voice even. "You're still recovering, and I don't want you overworking yourself. Let's make this the last blow." he said. Beth nodded and licked her lip before hoisting the axe out of the seat of Bolton's pants. He was whimpering like a wounded dog, and she smiled. He looked up at her with pain-filled eyes.

"Blease! Blease don'! Noo..nooo..Niles...don'..."

"Sorry," Beth said, raising the axe once more. "Niles isn't here right now. Only Red Riding Hood."

The axe came down.

...

**Author's Note: AAAAAND, FINISHED! YAY! CONGRATS, EVERYONE! But there's still the sequel to be dealt with, remember. Stay tuned for that SOON! And also, I ENJOYED THE HELL OUTTA WRITING THIS LAST CHAPTER OH-MY-GAWD. BOLTON IS DEEEAAAAD! *SUCCESS* Please, tell me how you felt about it. Was it too silly? I thought it got a bit cheesy somewhere, but I'd like to know what you think. Thanks all of you for following the story and liking it and reviewing the chapters! You are my fuel, and I loves you all! Stay tuned for the sequel! ;D**


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